One More Time
by SanchZeOtaku
Summary: Matsuoaka RIn finally won against his childhood Rival Nanase Haruka. Being freed from Haruka, Rin swears to never again swim with the former ever again. Haruka cannot stomach this sudden turn of events and goes into depression. Once again, his newly revived will to swim had been destroyed. What will Haruka do in order to swim with Rin one more time? -From after Episode 7.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n: Tadaima~ Surprisingly I am back with another fan fic! And this time it's a FREE! FIC :D :D :D**

**So I just watched the latest episode of Free! (Episode 7) and I simply HAD to write this fic. Centered around Haruka and Rin. Angst, hurt/comfort. This has nothing to do with the upcoming episodes of Free! so please do not expect this fic to be Canon! It is purely my fantasies and desires (Ok not so much my desires as my fantasies but yeah xD)**

**So read, review, favorite and follow!**

**Love~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free! Iwatobi Swim club, the characters or the ships!**

* * *

_**One More Time**_

_**Chapter 1**_

"_Haru! It's my win. This means I'll never swim with you again. Never."_

Nanase Haruka watched the ripples form in the bathtub as he stuck his finger into the water. It had been a week since the Prefectural Tournament where he had lost to Matsuoka Rin. Haruka had disappeared after the race and it had been a week since he had gone to school. His best friend Tachibana Makoto had come over every morning and evening to make sure the raven haired teen was atleast eating three meals a day and not spending all his time sitting in the tub. Haruka squirted the plastic dolphin next to the tub and watched as the drops slid off its smooth surface.

"_Never again…"_

Haruka raised his hands in the air and slammed his fists down, causing half the water from the tub to over flow and form a large puddle on the floor of the small bathroom. He grit his teeth, frown lines marring his perfect features, as he replayed the scene over and over and over again in his head.

_He watched with surprise as Rin kicked off the wall for the return lap while he was still making his way towards it. He kicked off and tried with all his might to catch up. He was right there. Almost. Almost. He heard the buzzer as his hand hit the wall and saw the list of names flash on the screen. He saw the bright number next to his name, but it didn't register. All he could hear was Rin's triumphant roar as he hit his fists against the water, the crowd's cheers ringing loudly all around. He sensed Rin get out of the pool and come to stand above him._

"_Haru! It's my win. This means I'll never swim with you again. Never."_

_Haruka's eyes widened as he processed the information. He could see Rin turn and walk away, but his body wouldn't move. He was supposed to be free. This match between them was supposed to have freed him. Why. Why. Why. _

"Haru chan?" Makoto pushed open the door to the bathroom slowly. His eyes went to the puddle on the floor, then to Haruka, whose head was submerged in what little water was left in the tub. Makoto watched as the air bubbles floated to the surface and silently popped. Sighing, he rubbed his neck, wondering what to do. When Haruka didn't come up after several seconds, Makoto made one final effort to get his childhood friend to acknowledge his presence.

"Haru chan I brought Mackerel!" Several more seconds passed and finally the raven-haired teen raised his head. Slowly, steadily, like a dolphin rising out of the water in order to breathe. Blue eyes flashed suspiciously and Makoto held up a plastic bag. Haruka sniffed once, as if confirming that the meadow haired teen hadn't been lying. Seeming to be satisfied, Haruka slowly stood up, the already cold water skimming down his well toned body and swim trunks. Makoto smiled a knowing smile at the sight of the black and purple suit.

"Well why don't you dry up and I'll get breakfast ready?" Haruka stood unmoving, as he stared at the wet towel lying on the floor. Makoto sighed again and disappeared from the doorway, only to reappear with a dry towel and Haruka's school uniform. The latter took the towel but ignored the uniform, as he walked past Makoto. Haruka flopped down on the tatami floor of the living room and continued drying his hair as Makoto began frying the fish.

"You really like Mackerel huh?" When he got no response, Makoto shrugged to himself and placed a plate of steaming hot fish and pineapple in front of the other. Just as Haruka liked it. Even though he never said a word, Makoto could tell that he was in a better mood as the blue-eyed teen gulped down the odd coupling of food and sighed contentedly.

"So… Kou chan was asking if you were coming to school today or if she had to make up an excuse for Ama chan sensei again." Haruka stared at his empty plate, picked a stray crumb and put it in his mouth.

"Haru chan, don't you think you've skipped school for long enough?" Makoto frowned and stuck his head in front of Haruka's face, tired of being ignored.

"Look at me when I talk to you Haru chan! I even went out of my was to buy your favorite Mackerel!" Haruka stared past Makoto and then turned his head.

"I told you not to add chan after my name." Makoto slumped against the table, as though the whole process of finally getting Haruka to talk had been an endeavor. He lay his cheek against the cool wood and watched as Haruka stood up and started to put on his uniform. Makoto immediately jumped up and asked excitedly,

"Eh?! Haru are you going to finally come to school?!" Haruka didn't answer, as he concentrated on buttoning his shirt.

"I don't usually wear my school uniform at home…"

"Yatta! (Yay)" Makoto fist pumped and glomped Haruka.

"Thank goodness! I was wondering what I would tell the others if you didn't come today either!" The bottle-green haired teen leaned against the raven haired one, as he bounced up and down.

"…..Heavy."

* * *

Three pairs of wide eyes stared at Haruka and Makoto as they shut the door to the roof. A pair of chopsticks clattered as Matsuoka Gou/Kou ran upto Haruka and jumped on him, teary eyed.

"Haruka saaaaaaaaan! I was sooo worried!" The red-head wailed as she clung to Haruka.

"Haru chaaaaan!" Hazuki Nagisa yelled in an equally loud voice as he too threw himself against the blue-eyed teen. Haruka gave the final member of the Iwatobi Swim Team an exasperated look, as Ryugazaki Rei stood with half outstretched arms. Rei straightened up, cleared his throat and pushed up his glasses.

"Welcome back Haruka Senpai!" Haruka finally managed to pry Kou and Nagisa off of him, no thanks to Makoto and turned to look at Rei with a blank expression.

"Yeah…"

"Haruka sa~n!/Haru cha~n!" Makoto laughed sheepishly as he watched the two jump on Haruka again, the latter steadily growing annoyed.

"Maa maa… Let Haru chan breathe you two.." Several minutes later Haruka was sitting beside Makoto, with Nagisa, Kou and Rei sitting opposite him. Kou and Nagisa had determined expressions and several times they looked at each other and nodded. Finally, Kou opened her mouth.

"Haruka san, it's not your fault you didn't wi-"

"I quit." Kou stopped mid sentence, fists in mid air, determined expression frozen in place, as Haruka interrupted her. Several minutes of silence followed as everyone turned to look at him.

"Eh…?" Haruka stood up and dusted his pants. Turning on his heel he walked to the door and looked over his shoulder.

"I quit."

Four pairs of astonished eyes watched the metal door squeak shut and the latch fall into place.

"EHHHHHH?!"

* * *

**A/n: Right then! Here's to a new fic! :D -applause- **

**Just so you know, I SUPPORT RIN X HARUKA AND MAKOTO X HARUKA. THEY BELONG WITH EACH OTHER.**

**Review, follow favorite!**

**Love~**

**P.s read my other fics while you're at it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: Oh mu goodness! So many follows and favorites?! :O :O :O**

**-inspired- I love y'all~ Thank you for reading! :D**

**Please review, follow, favorite!**

**Love~**

* * *

_**Chapter 2**_

"Haru wait up!" Makoto ran down the stairs two at a time and skidded to a stop, nearly toppling over two first years. He whipped his head around and spotting Haruka, made after him.

"Haru!" The school bell signaling the end of lunch and a wave of students making their way back to class caused Makoto to lose sight of Haruka. He groaned in frustration as he made his way through the throng of first and second years, desperately trying to spot the blue mane of hair. Several minutes later Makoto stood panting in front of a set of stairs that led to the back of the school. Deciding that if he was nowhere else, there was only one place he could be at, Makoto ran towards

the swimming pool.

"Found you Haru!" Makoto yelled triumphantly to an empty poolside.

"Eh?"

"Mako chan! I found Haru chan!" Makoto looked back and saw Nagisa pop his head out from behind the door.

"Someone saw him head home!" Makoto groaned and ran after Nagisa, as the two boys made their way towards Haruka's house.

When the sound of footsteps faded, Haruka's head popped out from inside a bush by the pool. He stepped out and plucked a leaf from his head. Walking upto the swimming pool, he crouched at the edge and looked at the water. The crystal clear liquid reflected the sky and the stray Sakura (Cherry Blossom) petals that floated on its surface made it look as though the petals were floating among the clouds. A sudden gust of wind caused the petals to move around, forming ripples in the still water and breaking the dream like illusion. The blue of the water reflected in the blue of Haruka's eyes as he reached a hand tentatively and placed a long finger in the water. The coolness of the liquid made him shiver and he suddenly stood, determined to leave before he stripped and plunged into the pool. Haruka picked up his book bag and walked towards the exit, turning around to look at the pool one more time. It was as though the water was beckoning him to come and let himself be engulfed by its cool embrace. Haruka shook himself and shut the door behind him.

* * *

"He's not here!" Makoto kept a hand on his hip and leaned against the wall surrounding Haruka's house, as he tried to catch his breath. Nagisa had gone to the public pool half way through, deciding to check there just in case. So Makoto had come to Haruka's house - only to find it empty. Makoto leaned his head against the wall and slid down to sit by the side of the road. He watched the clouds slowly float by and wondered where in the world Haruka had disappeared to. And right after he decided to come to school, he said something outrageous and disappeared! Makoto groaned and shut his eyes.

_And the sole cause for all this is-_

"Makoto?" The meadow haired teen's eyes snapped open at the familiar voice. He squinted upwards but could only make out flaming red hair and a row of shark-like teeth.

"Rin…?" Matsuoka Rin bent and stretched his arm out to Makoto.

"What are you doing?" Makoto took the outstretched hand and stood up.

"I could ask you the same thing." He turned to look at the redhead, who had an exasperated expression on his face.

"Well isn't it obvious?" Rin gestured towards his tracksuit and running shoes.

"Running? Here?" Makoto asked, tilting his head. Rin turned around and untied his hair from its ponytail.

"Yeah. I just somehow ended up here." Makoto chose not to comment.

"So what about you?" Rin turned to look at his former teammate and watched him sigh.

"Yeah well Haru just announced that he quit and ran off somewhere." Rin raised an eyebrow.

"Quit what?" Makoto shrugged.

"Not sure. He left right after and I haven't found him yet." Rin raised both eyebrows.

"Riiiiight and that's why you're sitting outside his house?" Makoto gave him a look.

"He isn't here." Rin returned his look with an 'oh really' look.

"So are you going home then?" Makoto frowned at Rin.

"It's been so long since we last spoke to each other and when we finally meet you ignore me, so when you actually decide to talk to me why are you asking me such pointless questions?!" Makoto stopped and took a deep breath.

"Woah dude atleast breathe in between sentences!" Makoto shook his head and picked his bag up.

"Well this is perfect for me. Since you're here, mind telling me what you said to Haru?" Rin averted his eyes and shrugged, sticking his pinky into his ear.

"Nothin' really." Makoto nodded.

"Yeah that's exactly what Haru said." Rin sighed and started walking. When he noticed Makoto wasn't following, he motioned with his head and asked,

"You coming?" Makoto made a surprised noise and followed Rin. While the two walked in silence, Makoto took the opportunity to eye Rin's profile from the back. When they were kids Haruka had always been the shortest of the three (Not including Nagisa since he's a year younger.) and Makoto had always been the tallest. Now though, Rin was nearly the same height as him and he had the same build as him too. Makoto snapped out of his thoughts as Rin suddenly stopped, his hands fisted and his body slightly trembling. The redhead whipped around and stuck an accusing finger in front of Makoto's face.

"_Will _you stop ogling me from behind?!" Rin's nose had turned red, just like how it would when he was embarrassed as a kid, causing Makoto's cheeks to slightly colour over too.

"I-I was not!"

"Were to!"

"I was not!"

"A-Anyway, stop walking behind me already! I'm not your superior or something." Makoto chuckled to himself as he watched Rin 'hmph' and continue walking.

"So about Haru." Rin started, expecting Makoto to continue his story from before.

"Even though you pretend like you don't, you still worry about Haru huh Rin chan?"

"I do not! And don't add chan after my name!" Makoto chuckled again and restrained himself from ruffling Rin's hair.

"You sounded just like Haru."

"Did not!" Rin whipped around and glared at….

"Huh? Nitori?" Nitori Aiichiro stood in front of Rin, several plastic bags in his hands and a weird look on his face.

"Senpai? What are you doing here? And who are you talking to?"

"I was talking to this guy over here!" Rin said, spinning around, looking for Makoto.

"That cheeky bastard! I know you're here Makoto!" Rin noticed Nitori's look and folded his arms.

"What?!"

"S-Senpai….. Are you beginning to see thin-"

"_I am not hallucinating!"_ Nitori squealed and inched backwards. Rin opened his mouth to lecture him again when another familiar voice sounded behind them.

"Huh? Matsuoka? Nitori? What are you guys doing?" The two turned around to look at the Samezuka Academy's Swimming Team Captain – Mikoshiba Seijuro.

"We could ask you the same thing Buchou. (Club captain)" Mikoshiba looked at Nitori and raised an eyebrow.

"You okay there man?" Nitori shook his head and began backing away again. Mikoshiba turned to Rin.

"Wha-"

"I did not do anything to him!"

"Gyaaaaaa!"

"Shut up Nitori!"

Meanwhile, Tachibana Makoto stood doubled over behind a tree, shaking silently with laughter.

* * *

Makoto continued to tremble silently as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"I said I was sorry!" He finally managed as he watched a sulking Rin stalk ahead of him. Taking a deep breath, Makoto cupped his hands around his mouth and said loudly.

"I am so sorry Rin chan! Please forgive me! Don't be mad at me anymore! I just can't stand it!" Several people turned to give them weird looks. Rin shook with rage and spewed a string of curse words from his mouth, fists tightly balled and face the same colour as his head. Makoto leaned against a pole as he guffawed.

"Makoto you bastard-"

"Alright alright I'm sorry! For real!" Rin glared at him and went back to sulking. Makoto sighed and scratched his head, a slow smile spreading on his face. Once again, noticing that Makoto wasn't following, Rin turned around to question him, only to see Makoto point his thumb towards a large house with a sign that read 'Tachibana'. Rin's mouth formed an 'o' as he walked back and scratched his head sheepishly.

"Here we are huh. That was quick." Makoto nodded and looked towards his house.

"Yep, here we are." Rin nodded and turning around, began tying up his hair.

"Rin chan."

"Do'caw meh 'in chah!" (Don't call me Rin chan!) Rin said from around the hair band in his mouth. Makoto chuckled softly and looked at Rin, his eyes suddenly growing serious.

"What did you tell Haru?" This time, Rin opened his mouth, but a sudden gust of wind blew his red mane all over the place, effectively covering the expression on his face.

"That… is a topic for another time."

Makoto watched as Rin began jogging away, a hand raised in farewell, as Makoto knew, if not for another coincidence, he would not be able to talk to Rin again as he had just done.

"Onii chan? Won't you come in?" Tachibana Ran asked, as she and her brother Tachibana Ren looked at Makoto. The latter simply smiled and made his way towards his two siblings.

"So what are we having for dinner?"

"Hot pot!" The two exclaimed excitedly and dragged Makoto into the house.

_Another time huh?_

The anticipation of another meeting kept the smile on Makoto's face from disappearing.

* * *

"Achoo!" Haruka sniffed and rubbed a hand against his nose. He slowly snuck into his house and made sure to lock the door shut, just in case Makoto decided to come looking for him again. He had had to wait around the corner for several minutes until Makoto – Haruka refused to admit he saw Rin – left. And apparently since he hadn't been out for so long, he had caught a cold. Haruka groaned as he opened the hot water tap and watched the water fill the tub.

_Don't sit in the tub too long or your cold will get worse! _Makoto's voice said in his head as he stripped down to his swim trunks and slid into the steaming water. Reaching over to the small bottles that lined the shelf next to the tub, he took one that was labeled 'Eucalyptus' and poured a few drops into the water. He took a deep breath and savoured the strong herbal scent that began to fill the small bathroom. He shut his eyes and submerged himself into the tub, causing water to spill out, as he let his mind wander.

"_Never again!"_

"Puwah!" Haruka gasped as he threw his head back and gulped down mouthfuls of air, his nose blocked from the cold.

"Rin….." He once again settled down in the tub and shut his eyes. His mind drifting to thoughts about Rin. About when they were kids, when they swam together, when they won the relay, when Rin forced him to take a picture with them, when Rin told Haruka he was moving to Australia, when he met Rin during New Year and was challenged to a race, when he watched Rin's small form crying after losing, when he stretched out his hand to pull him up but Rin pushed past him, when he saw Rin again few months ago at the abandoned pool, when Rin immediately challenged him to a match, when Rin won but didn't seem the least bit happy, when he met Rin by coincidence while trying on swimsuits, when Rin pushed him up against the fence and chastised him for not practicing hard enough, when they promised to meet again at the Prefectural Tournament, when he saw Rin swim by him - a huge grin showing all his shark-like teeth, when the buzzer rang and he could hear Rin's triumphant shouts, when Rin looked down at him and-

"_Never again…."_

* * *

**A/n: End of Chapter 2!**

**Sorry if there was more of Makoto and Rin then Haruka and Rin xD**

**Wait for Chapter 3 nya~**

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**Love~**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n: And I ish back with Chapter 3 :D**

**Sorry for the late updates I had exams going on :/**

**Well thank you for aaaaallll the reviews, favories and follows! Really you guys are so inspiring :')**

**Review, Follow and Favorite!**

**Love~**

* * *

_**Chapter 3**_

'_Ahh…. So warm….'_

"Haru! Haru wake up you'll drown!"

Makoto rushed into the bathroom and paled when he saw Haruka's submerged form in the bathtub. His face was red and there was steam rising out of his head (according to Makoto anyway). Makoto dunked his arms into the steaming water and picked Haruka up bridal style.

"HARU! STAY WITH ME!"

Makoto rushed into the bedroom, gently laid Haruka on the bed and began to cool down his burning body. He frowned worriedly when he noticed that the raven-haired teen was finding it hard to breathe. Realizing he probably had a blocked nose, Makoto sat him up and placed a hand on his forehead. Haruka was burning up and Makoto knew he had do something quickly. Not finding any medicines around the house, the green-eyed teen tucked a naked Haruka safely under several blankets and rushed out of the house. Grabbing his phone, he frantically dialed the first number on his call log. Kou answered on the second ring.

"Makoto san? What's wrong?"

"Thank goodness you answered! I'm sorry for calling you so late in the night, but Haru's come down with a fever so I'm running to the medical store. Could you come and watch over him till I get back?"

"Eh?! He's caught a cold?! Was he sitting in the bathtub for God knows how long again?!" When Makoto didn't answer, Kou reassured the older boy that she would go over right away.

Kou then dialed another number and held the phone to her ear.

'_Pick up pick up pick up….'_

"What is it Kou-"

"Onii chan! Something horrible has happened to Haruka san! He might be in a life or death situation right now! Makoto san had to go get an ambulance because none were coming so can you go and watch over him?! Thanks bye!"

"Wha-"

Rin stared at his phone as the line went dead. Cussing, he flung his jacket on and ran out of the dorm.

"Matsuoka senpai?! What's wrong!"

"Sorry Nitori I'm going out for a while!" Rin called, as he shut the door behind him and ran outside.

Rin hailed the first taxi he spotted and told the driver to step on it. The second he reached Haruka's house; Rin threw some notes to the driver and flew out of the car.

"Keep the change!"

He slammed open the always-unlocked front door and rushed to the bedroom. By the time he stood at the doorway, gasping and panting, sweat running down his forehead, his face red from worry and lack of breath; Makoto was already there, feeding Haruka spoonfuls of porridge, while the latter sat tucked in between several dozen pillows. The two looked up when they heard Rin's noisy entry. Makoto's facial expression changed several times before it settled on confused and surprised. Haruka just stared blankly at Rin. His brain took several minutes to accept the fact that the redhead was actually standing there, in his room, looking like he just jumped out of bed and rushed there. Makoto opened his mouth to address Rin but Haruka beat him to it.

"What are you doing here?" Rin took a deep breath an assumed a nonchalant posture. He smirked.

"What the hell… So you're just down with a cold…" Rin sunk to the floor and buried his head between his knees. Haruka and Makoto barely heard Rin's muffled words.

"What the hell…. And here I thought you really_ were_ on your deathbed.."

Silence.

"Huh?" Rin suddenly stood up, strode up to the bed and placed one hand on Haruka's forehead and the other on his own. The redhead frowned when Haruka flinched at the sudden contact.

"What the- your fever isn't even that high! Damn that Kou!" Makoto and Haruka continued to stare at him. Then Makoto gave Rin his typical closed-eyes-smile.

"What exactly did you come here to do Rin?"

"Haaaaah nothing I suppose. I just ran here because I got a random call from Kou saying Haru was dying."

Makoto frowned. Haruka licked the bowl of porridge clean. Rin sighed.

"Well since I'm obviously not needed, guess I'll head back the-"

"Wait!"

Rin and Makoto stared wide-eyed at Haruka's hand clutching Rin's wrist.

"….What?" Makoto stood up and took the bowl from Haruka. Placing a hand on the other's head, Makoto smiled and walked out of the room. Rin scratched his head awkwardly and sat down beside Haruka.

"So? Why did you suddenly grab my arm?" Haruka let go of Rin's wrist and looked away, blushing slightly. Rin raised an eyebrow.

"What don't tell me you're going to act all shy now after stopping m-" Haruka grabbed Rin's hands with both of his and looked at the latter with a determined expression.

"Wh-What?"

"Rin. Sleep with me."

All hell broke lose inside Matsuoka Rin's brain.

**CRASH**

All hell broke lose in Tachibana Makoto's brain.

Makoto stared, trembling, at Haruka from the doorway. Haruka stared at the tray of food Makoto had just dropped. Makoto hurriedly began cleaning the mess he made and disappeared. Haruka turned to look at Rin.

Rin's face was the same colour as his hair. Haruka's eyes sparkled and his mouth formed an 'o'

"Tomato!" Rin nearly choked. He reached up and patted Haruka's head.

"L-Looks like you really are feeling light headed huh gyaa?!"

Rin stiffened as Haruka suddenly grabbed him and nuzzled his head into the former's chest.

"H-Haru?! What are you doing?!" (Spoiler: That's the name of my next Free! Fic x)) Haruka continued to nuzzle a stupefied Rin. Thankfully the redhead simply resigned to the fact that the water-loving teen probably had no idea what he was doing thanks to him being drunk from his fever. Haruka raised two wide-innocent eyes and asked Rin again,

"Will you sleep with me?" Rin twitched.

"What exactly do you mean by that Haru?" Haruka shifted, raised the covers and patted the bed beside him. Then he smiled a rare smile and said again,

"Rin sleep with me." Rin stared at the bed and then at Haruka. He got into the covers and lay down, the two lying on their sides and facing each other. Haruka looked like a child who had been given a mountain of candies. Meanwhile both Rin and Makoto were trying to calm their racing hearts. Neither able to identify the weird fuzzy feeling in their stomachs as they stared at Haruka's happy sleeping face. (Makoto was peeping from the doorway. Such an overprotective mother.)

Rin watched as the blankets over Haruka rose and fell with his breathing. He slowly reached a hand towards the sleeping teen and tucked a stray strand of his midnight blue hair behind his ear.

"…..What am I doing?" Rin's hand lingered and then he brushed the tips of his fingers against Haruka's cheek, grazing the corner of his mouth. Rin's eyes fell on the raven-haired teen's parted lips and the redhead felt his face grow hot. Coughing, he slowly sat up and slipped out of the bed, afraid to wake the sleeping teen. Rin was about to leave when he noticed that Haruka had a firm hold on the sleeve of his jacket. Rin slowly pulled away, Haruka's hand falling lightly on the bed. As Rin walked towards the door, the sick teen mumbled.

"mmm… Makoto…"

"Yes I'm right here…" Makoto said and slipping past Rin, sat down on the ground beside Haruka. Rin slid the door shut behind him. As he walked through the dimly lit neighborhood, Rin swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He rubbed his cold nose and wondered why his emotions had been all over the place since Kou's abrupt phone call. He looked at the ink blue sky littered with stars and saw Haruka's peaceful sleeping face. He found himself smiling involuntarily, Haruka's childish behavior amusing him now that the initial shock had worn off.

Meanwhile Makoto was having conflicting feelings of his own. He knew that Haruka wouldn't remember anything he said or did when he woke up, maybe not even the fact that Rin had come over, so why did he feel so bothered about it? The olive-green of his hair shone in the dimly lit room as he shifted and stood up slowly. Grabbing a spare futon and blanket, Makoto made himself comfortable on the floor beside Haruka's bed. Tonight was going to be long.

* * *

Haruka felt the cold pad on his forehead and wondered what time it was. His memories of the previous day were all muddled. He knew he had caught a cold waiting outside his house for Rin and Makoto to leave and then he had taken a nice hot dip in his bathtub. And then his mind drew a blank. Every now and then fuzzy memories of what seemed to be the previous night popped into his head. He vaguely remembered someone who looked like Rin come in to see him. Haruka shook his head and stared at the ceiling. There was no way Rin would actually come see him. It must have been Kou. Sitting up, he swung his legs off the bed and his feet landed on something soft and warm.

"Oomph!" Haruka stared at a sleepy Makoto, as the latter rubbed his eyes and yawned. (A/n: Kyaaaaa) He then looked around and after getting his bearings straight looked up and smiled at Haruka.

"Good morning Haru chan! How are you feeling?" Haruka stepped on Makoto's stomach again.

"Why are you sleeping on the floor?"

"Well you came down with a fever and I couldn't just leave you alone now could I?" Haruka scratched his head and walked out of the room.

"You're such a worry wart."

"And you don't worry enough! So someone has to worry about you!" Haruka snorted as he began to fry Mackerel. Makoto blanched.

"You just wake up from bed and come and start frying fish?"

No answer.

Makoto sighed. "Alright then I'll go home, get dressed and be back. Make sure not to sit in the bath for too long. Alright Haru chan?"

"Don't add 'chan' after my name."

"Hai hai.."

* * *

Rin stared at the seagulls fly through the clouds, their perfect V formation never faltering. He sighed and squinted as the sun came out from behind the clouds.

"Matsuoka senpai? Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine Nitori." Rin took the water bottle Nitori offered and gulped down half its contents.

"I think I'll go another round."

"Eh again?! It's already you're thirteenth time!"

"Has it?" Nitori eyed Rin's blank expression with worry. The younger teen watched as the redhead jogged past him and disappeared around a corner.

'_I wonder where he went last night…'_

Rin kept running. He felt his lungs straining from his short breaths. He felt his muscles screaming from the strain of continuously running. Yet, Rin kept running. For some reason he liked the pain. It reminded him that he was still alive. It reminded him that he would still be alive tomorrow. And the day after. And the week after. And he would be alive for a long time after he had stopped swimming. If he ever did. But suddenly the whole joy of swimming seemed to diminish in contrast. And though he refused to admit it, his selfish words after his win in the Prefectural Tournament kept him from enjoying it. He knew his pride wouldn't let him swim with Haruka again. Not after he'd so boldly proclaimed what he did. Rin rapidly blinked the sweat out of his eyes and sped up. He turned a corner and shook his head, unsuccessfully trying to get the sweat from blurring his vision. Turning again, he rammed into someone and the two fell back, with yells, from the impact.

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow…" Rin looked up to scream at the jackass who had rammed into him, but froze when he saw the person rubbing his silky ink blue hair and raising cerulean orbs to glare at him.

Haruka's expression mirrored Rin's, as the two teens gaped at each other, both not believing that coincidences could occur this fast. Haruka was the first to recover. He stood up and dusting his clothes, said in a flat voice;

"Convey my thanks to your sister."

"Eh?"

"She came over last night when I was sick."

"Huh?! Wait that wasn't-"

"Actually never mind. I'll tell her myself since I'll see her in school anyway."

Haruka brushed past Rin, not sparing him a second glance. Rin grit his teeth and spun around.

"Wait Haru!" Haruka paused mid-stride.

"Th-That wasn't Kou! I mean it was Kou, but she wasn't the one who visited you! It was-" Haruka looked over his shoulder and interrupted Rin coldly.

"Are you done? I had to come back home to get something I'd forgotten and I'm going to be late thanks to you."

Not waiting for a reply, Haruka strode off, his pace not breaking once.

'_It wasn't her! It was me!' _Rin's mind screamed.

* * *

**A/n: End of Chapter 3! :D**

**Alright, so I edited the description a bit and added Makoto in the Characters list with Rin and Haruka. Mostly because even though this is a RinxHaruka fic, there will be a lot of chapters containing Makoto's feelings towards Haruka and Rin. (Not necessarily romantic fyi) and I love both the pairings, MakHaru more so. So I hope you're enjoying the story and keep reading!**

**Review, Favorite and Follow!**

**Love~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n: I'm back! Sorry I was sick in the hospital and I just recently got discharged :|**

**I haven't been able to get my hands on a computer and apparently typing on a phone is extremely hard. Well think of this as a kind of bonus chapter as an apology for not posting. Because this is definitely not the Chapter I had in mind and I couldn't come up with something good enough, so I made this a kind of in between chapter. Meaning, yes it is basically pointless. Though the ending will continue in the next chapter.**

**Look forwards to more! And thank you all for reading :D**

**Sorry if I don't reply to each review personally, but know that they have been seen and acknoqledged (:**

**Read, review, follow and favorite!**

**Love~**

* * *

_**Chapter 4**_

"Why?"

"Even if you ask me that, it won't change the fact that you're going to have to talk to Amakata sensei."

"Why?"

"Haruka san please stop being difficult! I already told you! What would happen if the newly formed Swim Club's Vice-President just randomly quit?! After we worked so hard just to form it!"

"So?"

"So!? What do you mean by so?! And would you please stop replying to everything I'm saying with monologue questions?!"

"Why?"

"_Oh My God Haruka san you are so annoying!"_

"What's going on~" Nagisa sang, as he approached a fuming Kou and a nonchalant and absolutely disinterested Haruka.

"Nagisa kun! Would you please tell Haruka san to withdraw his statement?!"

"What statement?"

"That he quit the club!"

"Oh? Did you make a statement like that Haru chan?"

"Don't add chan after my name."

"Sorry Haru chan. Now answer my question."

"Don't wanna."

"Uwaaaa Haru chan you sure are being difficult aren't you. Are you a sulking five year old?"

"Nagisa kun please stop adding fuel to the fire! Ahhh wait Haruka saaaan!" Kou ran after Haruka as the latter walked away. Nagisa sighed and leaned against the wall.

'_I'm pretty sure Rin chan is the cause for all this. But Haru chan is being an idiot too. Will our newly formed club get disbanded?' _Nagisa threw his fists in the air.

"I don't want that!"

"What don't you want?"

"Ah! Rei chan!"

"Please stop referring to me with 'chan'…."

"Stop complaining about that already! Mou!" Rei watched a sulking Nagisa stalk away and rushed after him.

"N-Nagisa kun?!"

* * *

Makoto frowned at a certain ink-haired childhood friend of his. Haruka returned Makoto's frown with his classic bored expression.

"So you're saying you want _me _to tell Ama chan sensei that you quit?"

Haruka nodded once. Makoto sighed and dropped his head in his hands.

"Haru stop being so stubborn! Ama chan sensei will hunt you down if I were to go tell her you quit!" Haruka made a disinterested sound and looked away.

"It's not my problem anymore- is what you're thinking aren't you?!"

"Makoto will you do it or won't you."

"I won't!"

"Fine."

"Wa- Haru?!"

"Don't follow me!" Makoto groaned and ruffled his hair as Haruka stalked off. What was going on?! Makoto whipped his head up and glared at the sky. He was going to figure out what Rin had told Haruka if it was the last thing he was going to do.

* * *

"Why are you here?"

"W-Well that's…"

Haruka raised an eyebrow at Rin, as the latter stood sheepishly at the other's front door.

"Well?"

"Th-that's!"

"If you're done wasting my time…"

"Uwaa waait Haruu!" Rin grabbed at the door and kicked his heel against the wall, forcing the door open. Haruka frowned and mirrored Rin's pose, as he tried to shut the door.

"Atleast hear me out!" Haruka pouted and let go of the handle, causing Rin to fly back and land on his bottom. The redhead rubbed his sore rear and hurriedly followed Haruka inside the house before the other changed his mind. Haruka sat down at the small coffee table and looked at Rin expectantly. Realising there was no room for small talk, Rin jumped right into things.

"Makoto's been worried about you." Rin gulped as Haruka's perfectly angled brows creased together. It seems that Haru was wearing that expression a lot these days. And Rin had a feeling it was his fault.

"So what's it to you?"

"You shouldn't worry the guy so much. Especially since he's the overly protective kind-"

"Like I said, what's it to you?" Rin looked into Haruka's blue eyes and found his will power crumbling. He suddenly stood up and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well come on then." Haruka's brows furrowed some more.

"Where are we going?" Rin grabbed Haru and dragged him out of the house, increasing his pace the second they hit the road.

"To the beach obviously!"

"Why? I don't wanna!"

"Stop being stubborn Haru!"

"Why do I have to go to the beach with you?!"

"Because Makato's going to be a pain to deal with if you keep behaving like this."

"You make no sense!"

"Exactly!"

"What?!"

"And one, two hup!"

"Uwaa~"

Rin couldn't help guffaw at the sight of a soaked Haruka, sitting in knee-deep water, with seaweed on his head and a very annoyed look on his face.

"You are so cute Haru."

Rin stopped mid-laugh when Haruka looked away and blushed slightly.

"Why are you blushing…"

"Shut up." Haruka stood up and glared at the seaweed, causing Rin to roar with laughter. Haruka then turned his glare to the redhead.

"What do you want?"

"Hmm what do I want.. Now that's a good question~" Rin refused to meet Haruka's eyes.

"How'bout we go for a swim? For old times sake huh?" Rin stripped and began wading into the water. When he noticed Haruka wasn't following, he turned around but stopped when he noticed the look on the other's face.

"What game are you playing Rin?"

"Huh?"

Haruka threw the seaweed he was still holding and waded forcefully towards Rin. He grabbed the other by the shoulders and shook him. Haruka stuck his face an inch away from Rin's and glared at the other.

"I thought you said you'd never swim with me again! So what happened?! Or was that one of your spur-of-the-moment kind of things that you conveniently forgot about?! Or is this all one big joke to you Rin!" Haru breathed heavily as he continued to glare at his former teammate. Rin was shocked speechless. He never thought for the life of him that Haruka was capable of such a tirade. He always knew Haruka to be the silent, disinterested in everything except water, whose thoughts were spoken by Makoto and interpreted by Nagisa kind of person. So what had caused that laidback person to grab him by the shoulders and yell at him? But of course Rin knew the answer to that. After all, everything had been his fault. He had been the one to drag Haruka into competitions then he'd just upped and left. Then he'd come back and forced his halfhearted feelings onto Haru and expected him to cope. Of course Haruka would break. He was never the type to take things lying down. Or maybe he was and Rin had changed that. Rin sighed and stopped himself from running a hand through his hair. Instead, he did something that - not only surprised him, but -would cause serious consequences later. Rin hugged Haruka.

The redhead felt his rival stiffen as Rin wrapped his lean arms around Haruka's waist and placed his chin on the latter's shoulder. Haruka just stood there awkwardly, in half a hug, as his arms were still clutching Rin's shoulders. Then, not knowing what else to do, Haruka found himself wrapping his arms around Rin and pulling the other close. Haruka nuzzled his head in the crook of Rin's neck. Rin found his cheeks heating up as his mind flew a mile a minute.

'_Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait! What the hell was going on?!'_ Okay he officially admitted that it was his fault – as Haruka said – a spur of the moment thing, where he ended up hugging the other, but he sure as hell did _NOT _expect this turn of events. Why was Haru hugging him?! Why was he sighing into Rin's shoulder like they were long lost lovers?! Why was he, feeling such a sense of satisfaction?! It was as if he was in lo-

In lo-

_IN LOVE WITH HARUKA?!_

As Rin's mind was screaming and erupting like a latent volcano come back to life, Haruka was having his own thoughts.

'_Rin's shoulders are so broad… Maybe he'll let me sleep on them sometime?'_

And so you must never underestimate Nanase Haruka's mental allusions and mood swings.

* * *

**A/n: -laughs- Yeah I kinda had fun writing this one x'D**

**Sorry for such a pointless chapter. I really had no idea what to write. And now I still have no clue what to write, So Imma go ahead and add in some drama. Ufufufu good ol'drama to the rescue x)**

**Lots of love to all the readers and hopefully I shall update more regularly~**

**Review, follow and favorite!**

**Love~**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/n: I'm back earlier this time :D Too early maybe :/**

**Well anyways, I'm proud to say that I have completed upto 12 Chapters of this fic and you can look forward to many more :D**

**Thank you again for all the reviews, follows and favorites and of course for reading!**

**Review, follow and favorite!**

**Lots of love~**

* * *

_**Chapter 5**_

"H-Haru?!"

Haruka found himself breathing in Rin's scent. Rin shivered. As a final ditch effort, Rin tried to pull away from Haruka and save both of them from severe problems in the near future. But before Rin could act, Haruka did something that once again, caused Rin to go through a mental turnover.

Haruka licked Rin.

"…Salty." Rin squealed and jumped back, effectively tripping over himself and landing in the water with a splash. He gawked at Haruka who returned his look with one of amusement. Rin gulped. It seems he had gone and turned on a switch in Haruka that neither had known existed. A switch that Rin had accidentally found out about a few days ago when Haruka had been sick. Rin watched the familiar sparkle in Haru's eyes as a sick feeling settled in the redhead's stomach.

"Rin-" Rin jumped up and tackled Haruka before the latter could say anything. He rested a hand against a stone and breathed heavily.

'_This shit isn't good for my heart'_

Rin took a deep breath. He wasn't sure where things were going, but he was sure that one more thoughtless move from him and they'd be going in the same endless loop again. Rin had to end this. And this time he'd cut it clean. No loose ends. No chance for more coincidences. No chance for more anything. He had said what he'd said for a reason. And he was going to keep his end of the bargain. Even if it meant once again selfishly pushing his desires onto Haruka and forcing the other to submit. Rin knew it was either now or never. Every time he saw Haruka, had a conversation with him, even stood next to him, he found his mental wall crumble. He could feel his will dissolving and molding around Haruka. He knew that one word from Haru and he'd willingly dive into that endless cycle again. Like the white and dark koi swimming eternally around each other in their little pool of life. The very thought caused Rin to shiver. He'd take care of things here first, then he'd clean things with Makoto. Make sure there were no more openings.

'_I'm tying up these lose ends once and for all.'_

"Haru.." Rin started, he hoisted himself on a rock and waited for the other to do the same. When Haruka was looking at Rin with wide earnest eyes, Rin shut his red ones, refusing to waver again. He breathed in and said everything he wanted to say in one breath.

"You were right Haru. I should stop playing around. It's enough already. Neither of us have to do this anymore. I meant what I said that day. And I'm sticking to it. You should stop connecting to me too Haru. Isn't it enough already? How much longer will you wait? How much longer will you base everything you say or do around me? I left for a reason. And just because I've come back doesn't mean everything automatically goes back to what it was. Actually isn't it the opposite? Doesn't this mean I'm here for a fresh start? Do you get what I'm saying Haru?" Rin paused, wondering if anything he was saying was going into the dolphin like teen's head. Haruka shifted, his bangs covering his eyes and casting a serious air about him. Rin swallowed and continued;

"So let's end this once and for all Haru. It's not like you have to quit swimming just because I said I'd never swim with you again. Hell I said it so you'd get even more worked up about it and work harder! That's the Haru I know! This Haru, I don't even want to acknowledge as my rival." Rin grimaced when Haruka flinched at his last sentence. He took a deep breath and went on. The damage was done. Might as well snap the frayed rope clean than let it hang by a thread.

"Swim for yourself Haru. Swim because that's what you do. Not because you want to swim with me or anyone else. Just swim because that's what Nanase Haruka does. Are you a quitter Haru? Are you going to quit and make Makoto worry? Well if you are then too bad. Because then I will never accept you as my rival. My rival isn't this pathetic person who sits around and mopes everyday. Get up Haru! How long are you going to chase after me?! Are you listening! Oi!" Rin leaned over and grabbed Haruka by the shoulders. What happened next effectively changed everything about the two teens for ever more.

Haruka grabbed Rin and threw him in the water. Rin spluttered and shouted up at Haruka. The latter simply stood, dusted the sand from his trunks, threw on his shirt and left. Rin watched his childhood rival walk away, a dull ache started to build up in his chest. He shook his head and lay back in the warm ocean. The damage was done. Rin was sure he'd hurt Haruka's pride enough to push the other back up again. Now he'd just have to make sure Makoto didn't find him. Rin stared at the clouds. He refused to look when he noticed Haruka falter for an instant.

This was for the best. This way Haruka would finally be free. He wouldn't be held back by the shackles called Rin. Rin found himself laughing bitterly. He realized that for all his big break-up lecture was worth, he had selfishly assumed Haruka had been chasing after him. He had selfishly assumed Haruka had been waiting for him. Haruka had never once actually told Rin he wanted to swim with him. Rin found himself laughing to the sky. What if this entire time it had been Rin who had been obsessed with the idea that Haruka was obsessed with him than the latter actually being true.

'_And then you realize everything you'd lived for was one big fat lie.'_

* * *

Makoto wanted to shoot someone. The last time he saw Haruka, the latter was walking away from everything he ever worked for. Now Haruka was just lying there in a different state of depression.

'_What exactly does this guy go through in those brief intervals when I leave him alone?!'_

Makoto was worried. Haru already looked ready to jump off a building any second. Now he looked like he wanted to bury himself in the earth. Or rather he already had.

"Ne Mako chan~ What do you think happened to make Haru chan a sand crab?" Nagisa asked, as he poked Haruka with a stick. Or rather the bulge of sand that was Haruka. Makoto's face drained of colour.

"Nagisa stop that! What if he suffocates and dies?!"

"Impossible~ You worry too much Mako chan~"

"Nagisa please stop it!"

"Nagisa kun you're worrying Makoto san. He might just explode."

"Ah you're right. Maybe we should bury Mako chan too~"

Nagisa clapped his hands triumphantly and surveyed his work.

"Perfect! Now no one will ever be able to tell you apart!"

"Isn't that because they're just heads now?"

"Rei chan don't stress the details~"

"I don't think that's the point here…"

Matsuoka Kou nearly died when she appeared with a cone of ice cream in her hand. The soft serve fell onto the sand with a splat as the girl looked at her four team mates. Makoto and Haruka were buried neck deep in sand. Haruka seemed to have a devil may care aura around him and Makoto just seemed to have given up on the world. Nagisa seemed to be having the time of his life building a moat around the two buried teens and Rei… Kou just deemed Rei as not worthy of being considered. (A/n: Ouch poor Rei)

"….So? What did I miss?"

"Ah Gou chan did you get us ice cream?"

"It's Kou not Gou! And just for that Nagisa kun doesn't get any!"

"Eh~" Kou knelt beside Makoto and placed her umbrella over the other's head.

"Hello~ Makoto san~? Are you alive~" Makoto gave her an eerie smile.

"Ok that's it! Rei kun! Help me dig them out! Now!"

"Eh~ Wait why would you do that! They look so comfortable!"

"Nagisa kun go eat your ice cream and shut up please."  
"Okay~"

After and hour and a half of digging and pulling, Rei and Kou successfully managed to unearth the two teens. Makoto just lay on the beach with a dead man's aura around him and Haruka wobbled to the ocean.

"Haruka san are you alright?!" Kou watched as Haruka rammed into a volleyball pole and then apologized to it. She whipped around and slapped Makoto a couple of times.

"Please get yourself back together! If you fall apart now I won't be able to handle Haruka san alone! Makoto san~"

That seemed to wake the meadow-haired teen up and he rushed after Haruka before the latter drowned himself in a whirl pool. Kou just hunched under her umbrella and squinted at the sky tiredly.

'_I'm pretty sure Haruka san's mood swings have something to do with Onii chan. Maybe I shouldn't have sent him to Haruka san's house the other day after all. Especially since Haruka san came and thanked me for going over even though Onii chan was the one who went.' _She sighed exasperatedly.

'_Why does everyone around me live in their own little worlds full of problems?!'_

* * *

**A/n: And that's to the end of chapter 5! Thank you all for reading! Just a head's up: There will be a lot more of Kou in the future. Just thought you should know. For some reason i really like her and I've decided to give her an important role in this story nya~**

**Laters then~**

**Review, follow and favorite!**

**Love~**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/n: Is this considered a late update? Because I just decided that I might update every 5-7 days. I dunno, just to quell my sadistic side? xD**

**Yeah anyway~ thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews! **

**I absolutely loved writing this chapter. Like really really really. I had so much fun. So I hope you guys have as much fun reading it as I did writing it :D**

**Love~**

* * *

_**Chapter 6**_

"Well this is new."

Kou, Makoto and Amakata sensei stood beside the school pool and watched Haruka swim to and fro. The two women turned to look at Haruka's one and only childhood friend.

"So? What brought about this wonderful change?" Makoto 'hmm'd and tapped his chin.

"I'm not so sure myself.. I went over to his house as usual today and found him already frying Mackerel." Kou looked the least bit convinced.

"And this is different because..?" Makoto gave her an are-you-kidding-me-right-now? look.

"Because Haru's always in the tub when I go over!"

Kou tilted her head. "Okaaaaaaay."

"But today he was already frying mackerel!" Makoto was posing like Kou was missing the entire point of his explanation. Like she just wasn't seeing how important the fact was, that it was an apple that fell on Newton's head and not a banana or an orange. Amakata sensei waved off the two and smiled brightly.

"As long as no more nonsense about anyone quitting comes up everything's perfectly fine~" She tilted her head at the other two. "Right?" Kou and Makoto nodded vigorously.

Haruka came up with a splash and stared at Makoto.

"What is it Haru?"

"Why are you there?" Makoto smiled and started to strip.

Kou's eyes sparkled as she 'oooh'd and 'aaaah'd at the sight of Makoto's triceps. Then she watched with delight as the meadow-haired teen flexed and took a running jump into the pool.

"Waaaah~ So beautifull~~" Amakata sensei patted the swooning girl on her head and disappeared into the school building.

"Don't be out too late kids~"

"Ah that's right! Have you two seen Nagisa kun and Rei kun?" Kou asked, pausing in her series of snap shots of Makoto. Haruka couldn't care less, as he continued to swim. Makoto paused for Kou's sake and pretended to think. Then he smiled brightly, shrugged and swam after Haruka. Kou sighed.

"These two lovers and those two lovers. So useless. Poor Onii chan hasn't a hope in the world." She placed a hand against her cheek and mourned for her brother's pathetic existence.

* * *

"Achoo!"

"Ah Matsuoka senpai! Look you did catch a cold after all!" Rin glared at Nitori.

"Shut up. What idiot catches a cold in August." So saying, he dived into the pool again, leaving a distraught Nitori to look after him worriedly.

"Oi Matuoka!"

"Haah what is it Buchou?!" Samezuka Academy's Swimming Team captain raised an eyebrow at Rin's snarky response.

"What's with you man? And here I was concerned you had a cold." Rin growled and ducked underwater. Nitori cried.

"Oi Nitori chill. Matsuoka ain't a girl to come down with a cold that easily." Mikoshiba reassured the first year.

* * *

"So what kind of idiot catches a cold in August?"

Kou looked down at her sick brother with a blank expression. Rin cussed and growled back at her. Kou rolled her eyes and sat down beside him.

"And here I was worried something serious had happened when I received a call from Mikoshiba san." Rin glared at Kou.

"Since when did you two exchange numbers?" Kou stuck her tongue out at him.

"What's it to you?" Rin growled and huddled inside his blankets.

"Ah Onii chan stop being so stubborn already! You can atleast come home when you're sick!"

"'Dun wanna."

"Mou!" Kou grabbed the covers and whipped them off, causing Rin to tumble on to the floor. Cussing, he rubbed his head and sat up.

"What's your problem?!" Kou pointed a finger at Rin and wagged it menacingly.

"Nitori kun told me you haven't been taking care of yourself Onii chan! Why would you float in the ocean till midnight?! Are you trying to bleach your hair!" Kou made a horrified noise and Rin tskd at her.

"As if. I just.. got lost in thought. What's with that reaction?!" Kou clutched her heart and stumbled backwards. Then she rushed forward and placed a hand on Rin's forehead and one on her own.

"Onii chan you're burning up." Rin stared at Kou blankly, a sense of de ja vu washing over him.

"I'm perfectly fi-"

"Kyaaa! Onii chan!"

* * *

Kou sobbed into a tissue as Nitori tried to pacify her.

"R-Relax Matsuoka san! Senpai was just weak from dehydration and lack of food.." Kou whipped around and stuck her face in front of Nitori's;

"You're his roommate aren't you?! Why aren't you taking more care of him!" Nitori paled and Kou sniffed angrily at him. The two looked up when Mikoshiba arrived waving a piece of paper.

"Ah Matsuoka's little sister!"

"Call me Kou already!"

"N-Noway… First name basis already.. I-I'm not ready-"

"Buchou she doesn't care." Mikoshiba sat heart broken beside a pitying Nitori, as Kou read the report.

"Huh a 103˚ fever. He really is an idiot." Kou huffed and turned towards the two males.

"You two! Why are you still up?! Get to bed already!"

"B-But-"

"But nothing!" Kou pushed a worried Nitori and a gleeful Mikoshiba back to the dorms.

"And find somewhere to sleep today Nitori kun because I'm staying over!" Kou sighed and watched the two teens walk away.

'_So unreliable. Got to make sure neither of those two idiots catches Onii chan's cold or I'll feel guilty and end up taking care of them.'_ Kou squared her shoulders and marched up to Rin's room.

It was going to be a long, tiring night.

* * *

"And that's how you ended up with a cold?" Kou glared as Nagisa shook with laughter.

"What idiot catches a cold in Aug-"

"Yeah yeah, I've heard that one already." Kou sulked. She had successfully cured Rin of his cold and successfully caught one herself. (She blamed their red hair and similar genes.) So the Iwatobi swim Team had come over to visit. Haruka seemed the least bit interested and just sat staring out the window the whole time. Makoto was mothering Kou and had even cooked her some hot chicken soup. Rei was just awkwardly trying to stop Nagisa from laughing; the latter found the whole situation too amusing for words. Kou groaned and huffed at Nagisa.

"Stop laughing at a sick person you sadist!"

"Wahahahahhaaa! But it's just like Gou chan to catch her brother's cold! You are redheads after all! Pff-hahahahaa!"

"Stop reminding mee!" Kou whined and looked at Makoto with pleading eyes. Makoto sympathized with the girl and ushered a delighted Nagisa out with an apologetic Rei.

"You guys should be more grateful!" Kou screamed after the duo.

"Maa maa they're gone. Anyway you shouldn't work too hard Kou chan. A good night's rest is a must!" Makoto wagged a finger in a motherly way and Kou glared at him. She turned and huffed.

"Atleast wear just an apron so I can get some fan service."

"Eh… Even though I'm taking care of you?"

"Hah! You're only here to keep an eye on Haruka san!" Kou watched as Makoto rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Atleast deny it! Aaah you guys suck! Get out!" Makoto and Haruka promptly left before Kou started throwing things at them. The redheaded girl fwumped back on her bed and placed an arm over her eyes. Her mind wandered to the previous night…

* * *

"So what exactly happened between you and Haruka san?" Kou asked as she placed a cold pad on Rin's forehead. The other groaned and turned his head. Kou sighed. Maybe it wasn't the time to bring up that topic after all..

"Where do you want me to start?"

Kou looked at Rin with surprise and then tilted her head.

"I don't know, at the beginning?" She sat down beside her brother and waited for him to start. Rin took a deep breath and started,

"I decided to join Iwatobi Swim Club in middle school because-"

"Uwahh not _that_ far ahead! I know that story already!"

"Will you let me speak or not?!"

"Ugh fine… Atleast make it short.."

"Why are you complaining?! You're the one who asked!"

"Alright fine already geeze!" Kou sulked as Rin glowered at her. He sighed and started again,

"So as you know, I was always awed by Haru's swimming. I simply couldn't get over it. The beauty with which he dove into the water, his clean graceful strokes, they reminded me of the dolphin show dad had taken us to long ago when we were kids.." Rin paused briefly and Kou watched as a shadow passed over his face at the mention of their late father. She squeezed the excess water from the cold pad and placed it on his forehead again. Rin continued,

"I decided that I wanted to be an Olympic Swimmer and that beating Haru was the only way I could do it. So even after I moved to Australia, one New Year's when I came to visit, I bumped into Haru and challenged him to a match." Rin smiled darkly and passed a hand over his eyes. "Of course I lost completely. It was… mortifying. Even after all that big-shot training I went through on the other side of the world, I still couldn't beat him. It was like the water was a part of him. The way he'd just skim across, like as if the water was what was pushing him and making him move, I thought it was unfair. I refused to admit Haru had beaten me. Not after everything I'd been through. And because of my… I guess vanity would be the word, I just thrust all my selfish and pathetic whims onto Haru and left. And all this time I had selfishly assumed Haru had been waiting for me. Waiting for me to come back, waiting for me to challenge him again.. And I thought by finally beating him I'd be able to move on.. That it wouldn't matter if Haru was like a dolphin because I was like a shark and I'd just rip through everything in my way. But this whole time, it had been just me. It had been just me selfishly throwing around my wishes and dreams, me selfishly forcing them onto Haru, me selfishly assuming he had been waiting for me, me selfishly cutting all ties with him whenever I fancied, it was all just me." Rin groaned and turned around, his back facing Kou, effectively hiding his expression from her. Kou swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She reached out a hand and flinched when Rin shied from her touch. Taking a steadying breath, she tried again. And this time Rin didn't move away.

"Ne Onii chan.. why would you even think that way? It's true you might have selfishly pushed your ideals onto Haruka san, but why would you assume for even a minute that Haruka san blamed you for it? I mean did you _expect_ him to tell you what he felt? This is Haruka san we're talking about. Makoto san tells us what he thinks, not himself." Rin snorted and cracked half a smile to what his sister said. He had thought the exact same thing the last time he met Haru.

"A-And anyway!" Kou continued, in a last-ditch effort, while Rin kept quiet, "Onii chan isn't the kind of person to mope about such stuff! What happened to that arrogant jerk who thought the world of himself?!" Rin made a growling sound in the back of his throat and Kou thought maybe she'd gone too far.

"That's just it. Maybe that's all I am. An arrogant jerk who thinks the world of himself." Kou mentally slapped herself. The fact that Rin was even talking to her was a miracle. And now she'd gone and said something unnecessary and effectively caused him to cut himself off. She sighed and stared at the back of his head. Then carefully, she reached over and tucked a strand of red hair behind his ear.

'_We really have the same hair colour huh._' And for some reason, at that moment she found the - otherwise annoying thought – comforting. She took a deep breath and tried again, this time carefully wording what she wanted to say;

"Maybe you should stop assuming and have a heart to heart with Haruka san. For all you know, he might be thinking the same things you are." Rin snorted and turned to give Kou a look of amazement.

"That guy? Are you serious? Pssh the only problems going through his head are which swim suit to wear and which side of a fish to fry first." Kou smiled sheepishly. Unfortunately her brother might just be right. She sent a mental apology to Haruka.

"Well yeah, maybe you're right." Rin rolled his eyes and Kou huffed. "Okay you _are _right. But that doesn't change the fact that maybe – just maybe – Haruka san feels the same way. You'll never know unless you try!" Rin raised an eyebrow at his sister.

"Why are you so bent upon fixing this anyway? It has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me! Until recently, Haruka san was going around saying he's quitting the swimming team! That I _just so happen to be _the manager of! Do you know how much of a pain it was to convince him otherwise?! My life is in the question here!" Kou huffed and Rin buried his head underneath the blanket.

"Geeze well I'm sorry for you, but since you're talking in past tense, I'm assuming Haru's stopped being stubborn and is doing whatever you want him to do right? So isn't that problem solved?" Kou crossed her arms and pouted, unable to admit the fact that Rin was right. After several moments she continued,

"Anyway! You should stop belittling yourself so much Onii chan. You're worth more than you give yourself credit for." Kou was expecting Rin to haughtily agree with her, but instead he simply lay there without responding. Kou gently poked her brother's cheek and found that he had fallen asleep.

'_Geeze and here I was being nice! Well whatever.. As long as he doesn't fall sick and over do things I guess I won't meddle..'_

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**A/n: Yup that's the end of this chapter guys! Didn't you enjoy it? Huh? Huh? I even liked the part where Rin was telling his depressing story to Kou. I always loved their relationship and wanted there to be more of it. So I hope you guys enjoyed~ See you again in 5-7 days! -sadistic smile- 8D**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n: Yosh! Chapter 7! Thank you for all the reviews! I wanted to mention, it's actually kinda late but still, that I'm referring to the characters in different ways than in the Anime. That much should be obvious by now, but I just wanted to explain why. For one, I'm referring to Gou as Kou because Gou just doesn't sit well with me :/ She's way too cute to be called Gou. And how _Kou_ refers to Makoto and Haruka as san and not senpai, is also because I thought san showed a closer relationship between them than senpai. And that's going to become obvious in the upcoming chapters [The fact that they are close I mean] so I decided to use san. Oh and Mikoshiba referring to Kou as Matsuoka's sister and getting flustered about calling her by her first name in the previous chapter, I forgot he refers to her as Gou-kun so yeah my bad xD**

**Also, #Spoiler I suppose, this chapter contains mostly Makoto and Haruka and how this entire scenario is actually affecting Makoto just as much as it is affecting Rin and Haruka. Thank you all for reading~ You guys are awesome :D**

**Review, Favorite and Follow!**

**Love~**

* * *

_**Chapter 7**_

Kou stared at Haruka with utter shock. She opened her mouth several times but failed to say anything. Haruka gave her an impatient look. Kou shook herself and slapped her cheeks twice. Then, "Haruka san did you just say what I think you did?" Haruka frowned at her like a child annoyed at an adult for not understanding what he was saying.

"I asked you to make a training regimen for me for the Regional Tournament." Haruka repeated, slowly, deliberately, like he was trying his best to make Kou understand. Kou continued to stare at him with a dumbfounded expression. Then she reached over and felt Haruka's forehead to make sure the other wasn't talking in a state drunk from fever. When she confirmed his body temperature was normal, she walked over to the pool and splashed herself with water. Then she turned and stared at Haruka with wide-eyes. Haruka frowned down at Kou and wondered if he should take her to the infirmary. Finally, Kou regained some bit of her former mental state and nodded at Haruka solemnly.

"Yes. Yes, I can definitely make you a training regimen for the Regional Tournament." That obviously seemed to cheer Haruka up and he jumped into the pool without further ado. He swam across several times vigorously, as though trying to make up for the precious minutes lost outside the water. Kou continued to remain in a daze and failed to notice the other three members of the swim club arrive. So obviously she screamed and slapped Makoto across the face when the other laid a hand on her shoulder when the redhead failed to acknowledge him.

"Uwaa I'm so sorry Makoto san! I didn't see you there!" Makoto sobbed into Nagisa's shoulder as the other pacified him. Rei looked at Kou with concern.

"Is everything alright? That was an awfully strong reaction just now." Kou's face turned the colour of her hair as she coughed and walked past Rei.

"W-Well anyway, Haruka san asked me to make a special training regimen for him so do you guys want me to make separate ones for you too?"

"Haru did what?" Kou sympathized with the trio's reaction of utter shock – in Makoto's case – bewilderment – in Rei's case – and amusement and sheer delight - in Nagisa's case. She nodded, confirming that they had heard right and weren't hallucinating.

"_Haru _asked _you_ to make a special training regimen for him?" Kou placed a hand on Makoto's shoulder soothingly and nodded again. Makoto looked like he'd seen a ghost. Then he ran to the pool and called after Haruka;

"Haru chan?! Are you sure you didn't fall sick again?!" Haruka surfaced with a 'pwah' and dismissed Makoto's obvious concern with a 'Don't add chan after my name!' Makoto seemed even more worried. Rei was trying very hard to figure out the cause for Kou's and Makoto's reaction to what Haruka had said. He tried to ask Nagisa but the other simply pranced around, seemingly amused, but on the whole not affected by the situation. Finally giving up, Rei confirmed with Kou that yes, he wanted a special training regimen please. When the other two also voiced their confirmations, Kou sat down beside the pool and set to work constructing separate lists of drills and exercises. Nagisa was helping Rei with his butterfly stroke and Makoto trailed after Haruka, still not entirely convinced the other wasn't sick – much to Haruka's annoyance, as he couldn't swim without bumping into Makoto every few feet. Finally at his limit, Haruka spun around and used a hand-gun to spray water into Makoto's face. The teen spluttered and eyed Haruka with much concern.

"What are you doing Makoto?"

"Haru maybe we should go to the infirmary. I think you might be sick again."

"Why would I be sick again?"

"How long did you sit in the tub last night?"

Haruka tilted his head in thought. "Five hours?"

"Aha! I knew it! You caught another cold!" Haruka writhed and whined as Makoto tried to drag him out of the pool. The other three looked up from what they were doing, curious as to why Makoto would deprive Haruka of his only purpose in life. Finally, Makoto succeeded in dragging Haruka out of the pool. He stood, back facing the pool, as he grabbed the other around his waist and tried to stop him from jumping back in. Haruka stretched his arms around Makoto and tried desperately to go back into the water. But – sadly for Haruka – Makoto was bigger and stronger and the other had no chance of getting back in the water. Realising his defeat, Haruka whimpered and glared at Makoto, as the other ferried the blue-haired teen into the school and towards the infirmary.

"We'll be back in a bit~" Kou waved to Makoto and concentrated on her work, while Rei and Nagisa motioned enthusiastically for Haruka to do his best and hang in there. As Makoto dragged Haruka down the corridor, Haruka writhed and twisted, in an attempt to loosen Makoto's grip on his wrist. Haruka found himself failing, especially since the two teens were still wet, clothed only in their swim trunks and sploshing water across the floor.

"Oh my goodness what are you two doing?!" Makoto paused briefly and turned to look at a distraught Amakata sensei, the woman eyeing the trail of water on the floor with growing trepidation.

"Ah Ama chan sensei! I'm taking Haru to the infirm-"

"Oh my goodness just go go go!" She shooed the two teens hurriedly into the infirmary and slammed the door shut behind her. Spinning around, she placed her hands on her hip and frowned at the duo.

"Why in the world are you running around the school wet and half naked?!" Makoto and Haruka blinked at her. Neither of the two seemed to have realized that they had rushed in without their clothes on. When Amakata sensei realized this, she wavered and sunk down on the bed.

"Atleast think before acting so brashly! How am I supposed to explain that trail to the other teachers?!"

"You could tell them we went on a fishing trip." Makoto offered. Amakata sensei looked at him incredulously. Then she looked at Haruka who promptly looked away. Rubbing her temples she nodded and stood up.

"Yes, yes I think I shall tell them that.." Then muttering to herself, she filed out of the room and left the two boys alone. Makoto immediately pushed Haruka on the bed and threw a towel on the other's head. While Haruka protested, Makoto dried the blue-haired male's hair and continued wiping the water off his body. Once Haruka was dry, Makoto wiped what little water was still on himself and hung the towel around his neck. Haruka glared up at him from the bed. Makoto smiled sweetly and pushed his childhood friend down, effectively pinning Haruka's hands and feet under him. Haruka tried to roll away but – as he had learned a few moments ago – Makoto was bigger and heavier and could easily subdue him. Haruka pouted up at Makoto.

"Why are you doing this Makoto?" The other simply smiled down at him.

"Because I worry about you Haru chan." Haruka wriggled again and Makoto grabbed both of Haruka's hands and pinned them on top of the other's head. Then he leaned down, an inch from Haruka's face, and whispered;

"Haru chan we can either do this the hard way or the easy way." Haruka stuck his tongue out at Makoto. The meadow-haired teen raised an eyebrow and with his free hand grabbed the pink tissue between two fingers. Haruka glared at Makoto, though it wasn't as effective since the former's tongue was hanging half out of his mouth.

"I know why yoh'doing thif" Haruka said slowly. Makoto eyed the teen below him and smiled.

"Oh really?"

"And I won' tell you." Makoto's smile faltered and he let go off Haruka. Sitting beside him, he placed one hand next to Haruka's shoulder and green eyes locked with blue ones. Haruka was the first to break eye contact. He stared as the tendons in Makoto's fore arm rippled when he shifted over him.

"Haru chan…. Why must we do this? Why are you being so stubborn?" Haruka continued to stare at one of the tendons and refused to answer. Makoto sighed and sunk his head in his hands. Then he spoke so quietly, Haruka nearly missed what he said;

"Is this something you have to hide from me Haru?" When Haruka didn't reply, Makoto looked at his childhood friend. The former blanched at the look of obvious hurt on Makoto's face. But it was immediately replaced by a smile, as Makoto stood up and turned away from Haruka.

"Well it seems I worried for no reason. You seem perfectly fine. Just don't sit in the bath too long." Makoto strode forward and slid the door to the infirmary open. It immediately slid shut as Haruka pressed his palms against the handle. Makoto looked over his shoulder with a curious smile.

"Is something wrong Haru?"

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you. Not because it's something I can't tell you." Makoto eyed his best friend for several seconds. Then, walking past him, he sat on the infirmary bed and patted the sheet next to him. Haruka silently walked up to him and sat down. Taking a deep breath, he started;

"When I lost at the prefectural tournament, Rin said he'd never swim with me again." Haruka paused, but when Makoto didn't interrupt, he continued-

"Obviously that depressed me. Since I wanted to swim with Rin again. That match left a bad taste in my mouth. I thought it would finally end, but it didn't. And the fact that I lost coupled with what Rin said… it was just too much for me."

"And that's why you decided to quit the team." Haruka nodded slowly, the way in which Makoto said the words wasn't out of spite, but Haruka still felt a sense of shame for abandoning his team because of his selfish problems.

"And then you met Rin chan again." Again Haruka nodded.

"And he told me that I had to break it off with him once and for all. He told me not to wait for him, that it was pointless. He said that even though he came back, things would never go back to how they were. He said he'd come for a new start. A new beginning that didn't include me in it." Makoto found himself pulling Haruka into his arms, as the latter ended his sentence with a choked voice. Haruka continued, now that he had started he wanted to just spit it all out.

"I had always thought it was my fault. Ever since that day when Rin lost to me and ran away. I should have run after him. I should have consoled him. But I let him go and because of that… I'm sure Rin despises me now. If not, why would he say things like that? Why would he just cut off our relationship like it meant nothing to him? Was it really all just a game to him? Every moment we spent together was just a joke? I don't even know what to think anymore. It's like he's laughing at me for waiting for him. For all those months I waited. I waited and believed that he would come back. And then he comes and says that he never wants to swim with me again? Like I was just a passing amusement that he can throw away whenever he felt like." Haruka paused and sat up. He ruffled his hair and took a deep, steadying breath. Then he looked at Makoto and the latter was surprised at the intensity of the resolve in Haruka's bright blue eyes.

"So I decided that I won't mope around any longer. Obviously Rin is going to take part in the Regionals. And I _will_ face him again there. He won't have a choice. And this time I'll beat him and cause _him _to beg _me _to swim with him again. This time I'll try ten times as harder. And this time I won't lose!" Makoto found himself smiling at Haruka's determination. What he had found out was different than what he had expected. He hadn't expected Haruka to pick himself up on his own. It caused him a slight tinge in his chest. As though the other no longer needed his support. But Makoto smiled and ruffled Haruka's hair and said,

"That's great Haru! You go show Rin chan whose boss!" Haruka smiled, nodded once and jogged out of the infirmary. He stopped at the entrance and looked back at Makoto. The meadow-haired teen waved him to go, signaling that he'll follow soon. Makoto watched the door slide shut. He leaned back on his arms and looked outside the window. He watched the seagulls soar past in a perfect V formation as the sun dipped over the horizon.

'_Looks like I was worried for nothing after all.'_ He unclenched his fists and looked at the semi circular marks that adorned his palm from the pressure of his nails. His hands trembled as the marks became darker. He sucked in a steadying breath and clenched his fists again. It wasn't the time for him to worry about trivial things. If Haru needed him, he would always be there. And he was sure the other knew that. Makoto stared at the semi circles on his palms and felt a sudden vulnerability overcome him. The fact that Haruka had gotten over the problem called Rin without his help, left him feeling useless and he began to question the reason for his existence. If Haru no longer needed him, what was his purpose for living everyday in this world? He heard a sound outside the infirmary and decided he had dawdled long enough. Steeling himself, he jogged back to where the others were, as he neared the pool, his typical smile took up its place on his face. He was going to do this.

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**A/n: Yes well, more of Makoto's insecurities coming up~ Also more of Kou and her keen-eyed-manager goodness :') [I just really like her lol]**

**Thanks for reading! Stay tuned~**

**Review, Favorite and Follow!**

**Love~**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n: Note- I changed the genres from Angst/Hurt/Comfort to Romance/Hurt/Comfort. I really wonder why I forgot to add romance. Silly me... -laughs nervously-**

**Anywho~ Chapter 8 minna! Enjoy ^**

**BTW do any of you ship MakoGou? -peeps out from behind sofa- What if I said I do? -shielding self with whale plushie- B-BUT THEY ARE SO CUTE! I CAN'T HELP BUT WANT KOU TO BE IN UNREQUITED LOVE WITH MAKOTO! **

**Review, Favorite and Follow!**

**Love~**

* * *

_**Chapter 8**_

Kou was worried. Even though everything had to have been fine and dandy now that Haruka had decided to stay with the team and his enthusiasm for training had influenced the other team members as well, but it wasn't so. Kou couldn't place the source for her worry, but she was sure it had something to do with the fact that Makoto had a forlorn and lost air about him ever since he came back from the infirmary. It had already shocked her when Haruka had arrived alone, claiming Makoto was right behind him, but when the latter had returned, there was something off about his smile that continued to nag at the back of Kou's mind. She was sure something had happened between the two in the infirmary. But whatever had happened had affected Makoto and not Haruka, or so it seemed. She squinted in the sun, as she watched Haruka dive into the water, causing the rest to applaud at his brilliant dive. He seemed more ..inspired, Kou thought, for loss of a better word. She had shrugged off Makoto's behavior as him being tired of handling Haruka, but she just couldn't seem to wash off the feeling that something was off about him. Kou turned to see that Nagisa and Rei were congratulating Haruka on another beautiful dive and she noticed Makoto's smile falter when Nagisa addressed him. It seemed she wasn't the only one who noticed it, because Rei had a mildly worried expression on his face. Kou clutched her clipboard to her chest and decided she'd have a talk with Rei after practice. She was sure that the overly observant athlete must have noticed something strange about Makoto's behavior. Kou frowned and wondered why this whole thing was bothering her so much. Was she reading into the situation too much? She couldn't be sure. As long as the nagging doubt clung to the back of her mind, she couldn't focus on anything else. She needed to consult Rei before it drew her crazy.

* * *

"Rei kun! Can I talk to you for a second?" Nagisa pouted when Kou walked up and latched onto Rei. She smiled sweetly at the blonde and clung on tighter to Rei's arm. Nagisa was stubborn. But Kou wasn't about to let the boy steal away what seemed to be another witness to her problem. "I'm sure Nagisa kun can walk home alone today?" Nagisa's expression was aghast as he eyed Rei desperately. The other simply pushed his glasses up and cleared his throat. Obviously whatever Kou wanted to talk to him about was of utmost importance. He for one knew that their redheaded manager wasn't one for idle talk. And she sure as hell wouldn't choose him as a companion for it.

"Nagisa kun why don't you start off and I'll catch up to you soon enough." Rei said in one breath, before Nagisa could say otherwise. Nagisa started to protest, but Kou dragged Rei away before the blonde could so much as utter a dejected cry.

"Alright then, let's get right to it. It would be a problem for me if we took too long." Rei eyed a sulking Nagisa through the glass doors and wondered what would pacify the blonde. Kou cleared her throat and stared at Rei. The latter raised an eyebrow.

"Rei kun, have you noticed something odd about Makoto san?" Rei was taken aback at the suddenness of the question.

"Excuse me?"

"Like I said, have you noticed something odd about Makoto san?" Rei gave Kou a confused look and the girl groaned and squeezed the bridge of her nose.

"I'm telling you there's something strange about him!" Rei nodded vigorously as Kou stuck her face into his personal space. She sighed and leaned heavily against the side of the shoe lockers.

"I thought there was something off about him since he came back from the infirmary. I can't quite place it, but there's definitely something strange about the way he's behaving." Rei pushed his glasses up and assumed a thinking pose. He nodded slowly and looked at a grease mark on one of the lockers.

"Well I _did_ think he was acting slightly more disoriented than usual. Especially today he made several blunders that were unaccounted for and definitely not normal." This piece of information obviously interested Kou and she raised an eyebrow.

"Such as?"

"Such as.. the time when Amakata sensei asked him how much of his regimen he had finished, he said all of it, though he'd skipped most of the drills in between. And when Nagisa had asked him a question, on more than one occasion it had taken a repetition for Makoto san to acknowledge the question." He paused when Kou didn't react.

"What?"

"You reaaaaaaaaaally observe unnecessary things don't you?" Rei gasped and sniffed as his pride had been wounded.

"Well I'm sorry but _you _were the one who asked me-" Kou waved him off.

"Yes, yes, I know." She sighed and closed her eyes.

"So it really wasn't just me reading too much into it." Rei took of his glasses and cleaned a spot on it. Pushing it back up his nose, he said;

"Well either ways, Makoto san's behavior might be of some concern. The regionals are coming closer by the day and we can't afford to have our Captain running into poles and apologizing to them." Rei sighed as Kou gawked at him.

"Yes, the other day he walked into a pole. It really was quite a sight. I would have even considered it amusing had he not fainted from a nosebleed after that." Kou snorted and found herself slapping Rei's shoulder with obvious mirth.

"Well that settles it! If things don't improve by next week, we'll have to take matters into our own hands!" For some reason Rei was slightly unnerved by the gleam in Kou's eyes.

* * *

"Ma-Ko-To-San!" Kou bounced upto Makoto and smashed her lunch tray on the other's head when the teen failed to acknowledge her presence. Makoto cried out in surprise as milk slid down his face. He looked up at Kou with a confused and shocked expression at her sudden violence. The girl returned his look with a sweet smile and sat down next to him.

"What are you eating?"

"Huh? Oh uh I'm not sure. Salad I think." The two eyed the tray of food in front of Makoto. There was anything _but_ salad on the tray and Kou smiled sweetly at Makoto.

"Well that's nice. Salad is always good for your health." Makoto backed away. He wasn't sure why, but he could feel a menacing aura around Kou and he was sure it was directed at him. When the girl continued to smile at him, he gulped and decided to take the bait.

"Wh-What about you Kou chan? It's rare of you to join me for lunch."

"Really? Even though we've been eating lunch together for a week now?"

'_A week?! Had it been that long?!' _Makoto stuttered and Kou sipped on her nearly empty carton of milk.

"Is everything alright Makoto san?"

"Wh- O-Of course! Why wouldn't it be?!"

"Oh that's good then. I heard you've been running into poles so I was a little worried." Kou watched as the colour drained from Makoto's face.

'_Bingo.'_

Makoto tried desperately to come with some sort of believable excuse, but Kou patted him on the shoulder and stood up. Once again – to Makoto's utter horror – she smiled 'sweetly' and started to walk away.

"I'll see you at practice Buchou san~" The girl called over her shoulder, causing several pairs of eyes to stare at Makoto. He groaned and sunk as low in his seat as he could. He wasn't sure what he had done to upset Kou to such an extent, but whatever it was, he better do something about Kou's mood before she skewered him with a fork the next time they met.

* * *

"Huh?"

"Like I said, you've been missing out on several drills these past few days. I would have kept quiet about it if you hadn't gone and told Amakata sensei you were skipping club because the teacher had called you out."

"But the teacher _had_ called me out!"

"Now now Makoto san. It won't do for the Captain himself to be so lost and disorderly. And as punishment, you have to do three times as much as usual today _if_ you plan on going home." Kou said with finalty, as she swished her ponytail and walked away, leaving a dumbstruck Makoto to gape after her.

"Wow that was harsh… Gou chan _really_ hates you huh Mako chan?" Makoto looked at Nagisa with a look of desperation that the blonde returned with a bright smile. He patted the meadow-haired teen on his shoulder and skipped off, calling good luck over his shoulder. Makoto looked after him hopelessly. He was about to move when he heard someone clear their throat and the metal edge of a mop glinted brightly from where it stood next to Kou, with all the authority of a weapon of punishment. Makoto wanted to run and hide in a hole, but having no choice, he began the tedious process of repeating his drills three times as much as usual.

"Done!" Makoto lay in a pool of sweat and water, as he breathed in lungfuls of air. The sun had already set and he watched the pool lights blink on. It had taken him nearly six hours to complete the training regimen that Kou had forced onto him and he was finally done. He couldn't move a hair on his body from the fatigue. He just lay there for what seemed like hours, staring at the insects that hit themselves against the lights, making a _pink-pink_ sound. A shadow passed over him and he squinted. A towel landed smack on his face and it took him several seconds to make the effort of pulling the cloth off. He looked up at Kou's lithe form, as the manager bent over him and held out a bottle of water. When Makoto made no move for it, she frowned with concern and helped the other sit up. She helped him slowly lean against the grills surrounding the pool and poured water down his throat. She watched the bulge in his throat bob up and down as he slowly gulped down the liquid, like the very effort of it was tiring. Kou sighed and squatted beside him. She took the towel and slowly began to dry Makoto. The other didn't complain. Or rather he didn't have the energy to. He just watched with heavily lidded eyes as Kou continued her ministrations.

'_Maybe I over did it a little bit.'_ But she fought off the guilt that pressed against her mind by telling herself that Makoto deserved it. Makoto apparently thought the same.

"Tha….nks…" the teen breathed, his lips barely moving, as Kou finished drying him. The redhead gulped and frowned at Makoto's swim trunks.

"…..Sorry, maybe I went overboard." She sensed Makoto shake his head and then to her surprise, he reached out and squeezed her hand gently. Kou looked up at Makoto's tired face and watched a kind smile spread across it.

"No… I'm glad you did it… My mind feels clearer now. Sorry for all the trouble I caused you.." Kou's lips quivered and the girl threw herself at the other, causing him to wince in pain as the air rushed out of his lungs. Kou bawled her eyes out into Makoto's chest. The other was shocked, and reasonably startled, but too tired to do anything other than stroke Kou's head. The girl mumbled incoherent things – several sentences that were rebuking Makoto and his pigheadedness – and he couldn't help but smile. Whatever had upset the girl was obviously his fault and he hoped his punishment made her feel better. Apparently he had said this out loud, because Kou stopped mid bawl to raise her head and sniff at him. Then she smacked him on the chest and shrieked, "Makoto san you're too niiiiiiice! People will take advantage of you if you keep that uppp!" Makoto grimaced at the strength of the slap and Kou went back to bawling into his chest. Several minutes passed and the girl finally settled down, rubbing her nose on the towel she had wiped Makoto with. They sat in silence for awhile, the only sounds those of the crickets and the insects hitting themselves against the pool lights. They watched the designs that played on the surface of the water, as the insects milled about, attracted to the lights. Then Kou slowly broke the silence.

"Makoto san are you okay?" Makoto assumed she was talking about his physical condition and he began to reassure her he was fine, but she waved him off.

"Not that… I meant… In general…" Makoto looked at Kou wide-eyed. He hadn't realized that he had been so disoriented that Kou had taken notice. He had obviously been lost in thought these past few weeks and it had caused him to make several stupid mistakes, but he didn't think it had been that obvious. Kou raised an eyebrow at him, obviously surprised.

"Really? The whole world knew there was something wrong with you." Makoto wondered what she was saying and then suddenly realized he must have spoken out loud again. Kou scoffed and swatted a bug before it managed to come near her.

"You really should be more aware of yourself."

Makoto sighed. Then as a spur-of-the-moment thing, he leaned his head against Kou's shoulder, comforting himself with the warmth from her body. Kou stiffened at the suddenness of what he did, but didn't move otherwise.

"I've….. Had a lot to think about." He said. Kou made a sound in her throat and Makoto took that as his cue to pour out all his woes and worries. When he actually said them out loud, he realized how stupid and childish they sounded and he began to feel embarrassed that he had even brought up the topic. When he paused awkwardly, Kou egged him on, encouraging him to finish what he was saying. Shrugging inwardly he continued, after all what damage could it do? He had already embarrassed himself far more in the past few weeks. Again, he had said this out loud and Kou had found that extremely amusing. She had agreed with some surprise that Makoto had himself admitted his stupidity. That made him feel more stupid, but he chose to continue his tale. Kou was a good listener and sometimes what he said seemed to surprise her. She later told him that her brother had said the exact same things and she huffed to herself about what an idiot he was.

"I _told _him Haruka san would have been thinking the same things. Especially since they're so alike in so many ways." She crossed her hands and sulked and Makoto found this highly amusing.

"What!" She had demanded, when she caught him laughing. And he had simply shook his head and said that she seemed to be suffering the most.

"Damn right I am! For some reason I end up in the middle of all the worries concerning you three. It's quite annoying honestly." She huffed again and Makoto found himself laughing – actually laughing – for the first time in what seemed like so long. Once Makoto had poured out all his woes, Kou had told him about her conversation with Rin and the two decided they had to do something about it. Kou was all fired up to intervene, but Makoto made her promise that she wouldn't butt in until the Regionals were over. Kou sulked but begrudgingly agreed. Especially since she felt guilty for the state Makoto was currently in. He waved off her concerns and said he was perfectly capable of standing. Which of course turned out to be untrue, because he nearly fell into the pool when he tried to walk and if not for Kou grabbing onto him, probably would have drowned. Kou wound an arm around his waist and insisted that Makoto leaned on her. He needed no more prompting and leaned heavily on the girl as they made their way outside. Kou's house was closer and she didn't give him a choice in the matter as she shepherded him off to her house. Her mother was going to be out for the weekend so it shouldn't be a problem she had said. Makoto had argued but Kou wouldn't listen to a word he said and so he had given up and let her drag him to her house. Of course what neither of them expected was that someone would be home.

"Oops!" Kou groaned as Makoto fell against her, toppling both of them to the ground. She rubbed her head where she had hit it to the shoe rack behind her that had – thankfully - broken their fall. She eyed Makoto who was draped over her and sighed. The other obviously had no strength to stand up on his own and she was tired from lugging him home.

'_Maybe I'll wait a little while…'_ she thought and let her eyes wander. Her bright red orbs froze at the figure standing above them and slowly widened as they scaled upwards.

"What the _fuck_ is going on here?!" Rin demanded, as he stared down at his sister and childhood friend. Both Kou and Makoto reacted at the same time, causing Makoto to raise his head from Kou's shoulder and Kou to turn towards him. The sound of a mug shattering echoed around the house as green eyes stared into red. By some accident, bad luck or coincidence, or a mixture of all three, Kou had accidentally kissed Makoto. On the mouth. In front of Rin.

Matsuako Rin roared like a maddened person and tore Makoto from his sister. Kou squealed and tried to get in between the two males before Rin beat up the already beaten up Makoto.

"W-W-W-W-Wait _Onii chan!_ It's an accident!" Kou screamed and tried to pull Rin away but the latter wasn't listening. With a roar, Rin raised his fist and brought it down hard on Makoto's stomach. The latter doubled over and in a desperate attempt, grabbed Rin's legs, causing the three to topple over in a tangle of limbs and screams. Rin was the first to get back on his feet. He pulled his leg back, making to kick Makoto, but Kou pushed him just in time and Rin tripped and stepped on the broken shards of the mug. He screamed as blood splattered across the floor. Rin fell to the ground clutching his injured foot, Makoto meanwhile had slid back a safe distance from Rin and Kou stood in between the two males, her back towards Makoto in defensive, holding a closed umbrella and brandishing it like a sword. Rin stopped swearing for half a second to glare at Kou – who immediately dropped the umbrella and ran into the kitchen to get a cloth – and then he continued to swear as he plucked the piece of ceramic from his foot, the range and volume of his cusses escalating as the piece came out. Kou returned with a soft cloth and pressed it against Rin's foot, causing him to swear some more. Kou joined in the shouting as she tried to calm her deranged brother down. Makoto just lay slumped in a corner, wondering what he would do if Rin decided to attack him again. Kou helped Rin to limp into the living room and she rushed back to Makoto with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and some apples. While he downed the scalding liquid with gratitude, she cut the apples into bite sized pieces and helped him eat them. Rin roared from the kitchen and the duo flinched at the renewed flow of swear words. Kou grimaced at Makoto apologetically and rushed to her brother's side. She decided that she would keep Rin as far away from Makoto as possible, until he regained his senses and Makoto could defend himself.

Kou sensed another long night ahead.

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**A/n: Etto~ Well I really like how things are going C: And Rin chan is back! Ok so hope you guys liked it~**

**The continuation of this chapter comes next week!**

**Review, Follow and Favorite!**

**Love~**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n: I'm back! Thank you for reading y'all! And also for the favorites, reviews and follows! **

**#Spolier Alert- So this is a continuation of where we left off in the previous chapter. More of Rin and Kou and MakotoxKou [Don't kill me! I'm just mixing in random pairings here and I really think Kou and Makoto make a cute couple.] More drama~**

**I must warn you, this is the beginning of a lot of drama and emo-ness. So prepare yourselves!**

**Review, favorite and follow!**

**Love~**

* * *

_**Chapter 9**_

"_And?!"_

"And nothing! I'm telling you it was an accident!"

"Don't lie to me! There was no way in _hell _that you two ended up like that by _accident!"_ Rin screeched and nearly struck Kou. The girl was pulled back by Makoto a second before Rin's hand whizzed past her face.

"Rin were you just about to hit her?" Makoto's voice was soft but Kou shivered at the menacing tone that underlined it. Rin growled and threw the first thing within hand's reach at Makoto. Kou thanked whatever god was listening that the closest thing to him had been a cushion. Makoto swatted the round pillow harmlessly aside and glared at Rin. Rin turned his glare at Kou.

"_Why the fuck are you sitting on his lap?!"_ Kou flinched and Makoto placed her on the sofa beside him.

"Calm down Rin! We ended up like that because you tried to hit her!"

"_Shut the fuck up I'm talking to her!"_

"_Onii chan!"_ Rin snapped his head towards Kou and what the girl did shocked all three of them. Kou slapped Rin. Nice and hard. A long silence followed, with Rin's head turned to the side, his hair all over his face and a red welt blooming on his cheek. Makoto just sat awkwardly on the farthest corner of the sofa, brandishing a cushion in front of him like a shield, in case Rin jumped him. And Kou stood between the two, one hand in mid air. She trembled and then began to cry for the second time that day. She slumped down on the floor and sobbed, clutching the hand she slapped Rin with against her chest as her palm started to redden. Makoto was the first to react. He knelt beside the crying girl and wrapped her gently in the hug. That immediately set Rin off. The redhead grabbed his sister and plucked her away from Makoto. The latter frowned but didn't protest.

"_Don't touch her."_ Rin hissed and Makoto raised his hands in surrender. The two teens sat opposite each other and Rin tried to soothe Kou, without taking his eyes off Makoto. Makoto on the other hand was casting apprehensive glances between Rin and Kou. He wanted to console the crying girl but dared not move, lest Rin went on a rampage again. So he did what he could, sat quietly and stared at the siblings. After a time Kou calmed down. Rin turned to look at her and she immediately caressed his face in her hands.

"_I'm sorrryyyyyy."_ She wailed, fresh tears pouring down her face. Rin sighed and places his hands over hers. Then, surprising Makoto, he spoke in a gentle soothing voice,

"Calm down Kou. It's alright. I'm sorry I tried to hit you. I shouldn't have reacted like that."

"Damn right you shouldn't have." Kou sniffed. Makoto breathed a sigh of relief and visibly relaxed. He closed his eyes and draped an arm over them. Rin watched as the other took slow calming breaths.

"You _really_ over did it huh." Kou sniffed again and carefully stood up and made her way towards Makoto. Rin frowned but didn't say or do anything otherwise and Kou assumed it was safe to go near Makoto. She slowly lowered herself next to him and touched his arm. Makoto flinched and jumped to the side, his eyes red and watering. With a certain amount of shock, Kou realized he had fallen sleep. Another lump formed in her throat as she realized the extent of Makoto's fatigue. She turned to Rin and looked at him with pleading eyes. It took a few seconds to work, but Rin eventually gave in to the pathetic look on his sister's face and together the duo helped carry Makoto to the spare room. The second his head touched the pillow, Makoto was fast asleep. Kou tucked him in securely and shut the door quietly. She went back to the living room and saw Rin inspecting his injured foot. He grunted when she sat down next to him.

"Won't be able to run for awhile." Kou frowned. She opened her mouth to chastise him, but he waved her off.

"So tell me again what you were doing?" Kou sighed. She explained again how Makoto had been distraught the past few weeks and had skipped his drills, causing Kou to force him to do thrice the amount. Of course that was over the top and Makoto wasn't able to move after that, let alone stand. She then forced him to come home and they tripped at the door and ended up in such a… compromising position. Kou effectively left out the part about their little talk and Rin didn't seem to notice. When Kou mentioned how they had ended up where he had found them, Rin frowned and glowered at his foot. Kou pushed her luck and went so far as to say that if Rin hadn't startled them, they wouldn't have kissed by accident and Rin wouldn't have hurt his foot. To that the redhead growled but didn't argue. Kou sighed and leaned back into the sofa. It had been a long day and all she wanted was to sleep. But her stomach thought otherwise. Rin raised an amused eyebrow as Kou's stomach gurgled loudly. The girl blushed and got up to find herself something to eat. Suddenly realization struck her and she whipped around to face Rin.

"By the way Onii chan, why are you here?!" Rin gave her a look.

"Why? Can't I come to my own house when I want to?" Kou frowned.

"That's not what I meant. Why are you here _now?"_ Rin shrugged.

"Mum said she was going out for the weekend and she couldn't leave you alone, so she asked me to come and stay over." Kou gave him an incredulous look.

"And you _actually _agreed?" Rin snorted but didn't reply. Kou sighed and went back to checking the cupboards.

"Well did you eat?" When Rin answered no, Kou decided she might as well make a proper dinner since her brother was home.

A half hour later Rin and Kou were sitting around the table eating whatever food Kou could find. Which was quite a lot. Rin grunted with satisfaction.

"Didn't know there was chicken stew."

"Of course you didn't. Why would you know?" Rin glanced at Kou but she ignored him. Then as an after thought he added,

"Shouldn't you feed Makoto? If you actually made him do as much as you said you did, I'm sure he's ravenous." Kou frowned at her plate. Then she nodded and went to the cupboard. She pulled out more ingredients and started to cook again. Rin stared at her.

"What are you doing?" Kou gave him a look over her shoulder.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Oh brother of mine?" Rin frowned.

"Cooking." Kou made an appreciative sound and clapped two ladles together. Rin's frown deepened.

"And _why _are you cooking?"

"You know sometimes I really wonder if we're related." Kou didn't even flinch when Rin banged his spoon against the table.

"Damnit Kou! Answer my damn question!" She whipped around and pointed the ladle in his face.

"_You _tell _Me_. Didn't you just say Makoto san will be ravenous?! So of course I'm making more food!" Rin frowned again, but this time for a different reason.

"I just realized you both call each other by your first names." Kou made another incredulous sound and clapped the ladles loudly together.

"_Will _you stop doing that?!"

"_Will _you stop being a complete idiot?!" The two siblings glowered at each other. Kou was the first to turn away when the oven pinged. After awhile Rin went back to eating.

"So what are you making?" Kou didn't answer for a while.

"Shrimp curry." Rin made a startled sound. Kou looked over her shoulder at him. He stared at her wide-eyed.

"You know how to make shrimp curry?!" Kou rolled her eyes and replied in a biting tone.

"If you actually came home more often you'd know that I can do a _lot _more." Rin didn't respond to that and Kou felt the satisfaction of having won that battle.

'_All's fair in love, war and besting your brother.'_ She hummed to herself, and her mood relatively improved.

* * *

Makoto stared at his plate. He was half asleep and wasn't sure whether to trust what his eyes were showing him.

"How long are you going to keep staring at it?"

"_Onii chan leave him alone!"_ Rin growled but kept quiet. Kou glared at him for a second more and then turned her attention to Makoto.

"Makoto san? Are you alright?" Makoto grunted but didn't make any sign of moving to eat. Kou started to worry. She sat down beside him and then picking up a bowl ladled a double serving of rice and curry. She then proceeded to feed Makoto, much to Rin's chagrin.

"There's no need for you to _feed _him!" Kou pointed the chopsticks she was holding at Rin and then at his plate and turned her full attention to Makoto. Rin continued to grumble the whole time. Initially, Makoto found it difficult to eat. He just chewed as slowly as possible and swallowed when he thought he could keep down the food. But by the end of the bowl of rice, he seemed to have regained some energy and began to eat on his own. He ate several servings of everything that was on the table, much to Kou's delight and he made appreciative sounds every now and then. Even including exaggerated postures to show how much he appreciated the food. Kou was enjoying herself more than she had expected to. She enjoyed watching Makoto eat the food she cooked with such obvious delight. Rin on the other hand just sat at the head of the table and glowered at the two, alternating between grumbling at his sister's delight and at Makoto stuffing his face.

"Cheh. Don't expect for something like this to happen again!"

"Onii chan!" Kou scolded and Rin turned away but continued to grumble. Kou huffed at the way her brother was behaving but was distracted by Makoto's failed attempt at doling out the stew, which Kou laughed and did for him. After several minutes, Rin spoke again.

"Are you two going out?" The question obviously caught the two off guard. Makoto stopped mid chew and stared at Rin. His cheeks were stuffed with food and several grains of rice adorned his face. Rin thought he looked like a chipmunk. Kou, on the otherhand, was more affected by the question.

"Wha-! Why in the world would you say something like that?!" Rin scowled at the reddening face of his sister.

"So you _are _going out!"

"We are _not!"_

"But you _Are! _You can't hide it from me! I know you as well as I know the back of my hand!" That statement completely put Kou off. The air around her seemed to chill and her bangs fell over her face, covering her eyes.

"_You? You_ know me as well as the back of your hand?" Rin grimaced at the icy tone of her voice but he didn't say anything.

"_You_ are barely home!_ You _never even bother to visit even if we beg you to! _You _couldn't care less about all the things I have been through!" Kou's voice caught at the end and both males were alarmed to see a fresh batch of tears appear in Kou's eyes.

"_You_ do not know _anything about me! Actually-"_ Kou stood up and smashed the chopsticks she was holding on the table, causing both teens to flinch, "-_You_ don't know anything about any of us! Not me! Not Makoto san! Not even Haruka san! Because the entire _fucking_ time-" Rin and Makoto gaped at Kou as she swore, "-_You_ have been too busy with _your own life _to care about anyone else!" Kou ended her tirade there. Tears spilling down her already swollen cheeks.

Makoto was the first of the two to react. He swallowed the food in his mouth, gently placed the bowl in his hands down and pulled Kou into a hug. But that didn't seem to placate the girl. She pointed a trembling finger at her brother and spat at him, "Don't you _dare_ claim you _know_ us or anybody else! Because you do not! I know more about Makoto san and Haruka san than you do!" And that seemed to strike Rin the hardest. He roared and stood up, nearly toppling the table over.

"_You?! You _think you know them better than _I_ do?! Then tell me-"

"Rin." The one word completely cut off everything Rin was about to say. Rin stared at Makoto with a mixture of hurt and fury. The latter simply looked at him.

"That's enough."

Rin put his arm down and slumped into the chair, his face turning several shades darker as various emotions danced across his eyes. Kou continued to silently weep into Makoto's arms. The latter gently led her away from the kitchen and to where he presumed her room was. He pushed open the door, relieved he had guessed right. Before he could turn on the light, Kou threw herself at his chest. Once again, Makoto found himself cradling the girl against him and stroking her hair as she cried into his broad chest. Makoto heard the scraping of a chair downstairs and assumed Rin had gotten up from the table. Makoto hoped for the other's sake, that he didn't come upstairs. Instead, he heard the sound of water running and he could hear Rin scraping the bowls and plates clean. Makoto sighed, then he leaned back against the door, shutting it and slid to the floor with Kou in his arms. The girl continued to sob into his chest for a long time, even longer than before and he knew that it wasn't Rin's comment about them going out but rather what he had said _after_ that that had affected Kou so much. And sadly, Makoto knew Kou was right. Whether or not Rin admitted it, he had run away from all of them. He had always thought Haru had been the one affected the most by Rin's disappearance. But obviously he had been wrong. Despite her strong façade, Kou cared more about Rin than she did about herself. He realized with a start that every thought or action of hers was somehow connected to Rin. Makoto stared at the redhead that moved against his chest and realized with a tight heart that Kou probably loved Rin more than anyone else. And this entire situation had truly hurt her. Makoto's heart fell when he realized that nothing he did or said would make Kou feel better. The only one who could ever help her was the source of her sorrow, Rin. Kou continued to sob for what seemed like an eternity. When she finally quieted down, Makoto tried to move but found she had fallen asleep against his chest. Not wanting to wake the suffering girl, he shifted into a more comfortable position and pulled the cover off Kou's bed and around them. Rin would be awake the whole night he knew and Makoto felt a feeling of satisfaction that Rin would torment himself over the fact that Makoto had spent the night with Kou. Then the meadow-haired teen wondered what he would do the next morning. He sighed and let his tired mind and body drift off.

'_Tomorrow is another day…'_

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**A/n: Done with another successful Chapter! Still dunno how long this fic will be. I thought maybe I should apologize for there not being enough RinHaru but then nAaaah~ Since there'll be enough soon x)**

**Thank you for reading! Love y'all-**

**Review, favorite and follow!**

**Love~**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n: Warning, this chapter is slightly over the top... I wrote it over a month back and was probably not in a very good mood so, I myself am surprised about how much drama is in this hahaha... -looks away nervously-**

**Well as an excuse, here's a kind of prologue to the chapter:**

_**Makoto was physically and mentally exhausted. The thing between Rin and Haru had already caused him to feel like an awkward bystander, but the thing with Rin and Kou had effected him more. He was still tired from the over working from the previous day and all the events that followed had left him in a bad mood. Plus the lack of sleep, his nerves, insecurities and frustrations breathing down his neck. So he felt himself snap. He had a feeling of impending doom, but he was too irritated to do something about it. He wasn't sure he could keep his emotions under check much longer.**_

**Yeah well, there's more Haru in this chapter but it's extremely short and I apologize because I didn't have the time to re-write it. I apologize for any OOCness right now before you guys shoot me.. -hides-**

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_**Chapter 10**_

Nagisa, Rei and Haruka stared at their manager. The latter seemed to have fallen into a volcano and then gotten thrown around by a great white whale. Kou looked like death. Her every move was forced and her every word was clipped and brief. She wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she was in a bad mood. Nagisa and Rei steered clear of her, if only to save their lives than anything else. Haruka on the other hand was frustrated. It seemed Makoto was the only one of them who knew what was going on and he stuck close to Kou the entire day. The Iwatobi Swim Team had decided to have an extended practice session at the beach during the weekend. Makoto and Kou had arrived two hours late with Kou in her present state. Makoto had given them all a 'do-NOT-ask' look and they had tried to act as though nothing had happened. That of course was turning out to be exceedingly difficult. Kou's moods were all over the place. One minute she looked like she was about to break down and the next minute she was tearing down the beach waving her umbrella at some poor kid who tripped over her. Haruka was finding himself growing tired of her mood swings. While Kou tore after the kid, Haruka chose that moment to confront Makoto.

"Makoto."

"Haru, I know you're going to ask, but I can't say." Haruka frowned at the instant rejection he received.

"But at this rate we aren't going to get any practice done." Makoto gave Haruka an incredulous look.

"_Practice?! Practice!" _Haruka scowled but nodded, not knowing where Makoto was going with the conversation.

"Kou has been through hell and all you care about is _practice?!"_ That pissed Haruka off.

"Well it's not my fault you won't tell me what happened!"

"It's not my place to go around telling people what happens in other people's lives!"

"Well then you can't expect me to do much can you?! What else can I think about other than practice?!"

"You can atleast _act _concerned!"

"Why would I _act _when I already _am!"_ Makoto and Haruka stood an inch from each other's faces, glowering and fuming. Nagisa came running towards them.

"What's going on you two?! I look away for one second and now you guys are fighting?!"

"Shut up Nagisa." Makoto snarled and Nagisa looked like someone had slapped him across the face. Never in his life had Makoto ever, _ever_ used that tone with anyone. Let alone ask Nagisa to shut up. Nagisa burst into tears and that caused Rei to hurry over.

"Nagisa kun!? What's wrong!" Rei looked between Haruka and Makoto questioningly. Haruka looked at Makoto with accusing eyes and Makoto stepped back and threw his hands in the air.

"Don't you go blaming _me _for this!" By then Kou had also reached them and for once, she seemed more concerned about what was going on between them. Before she could say anything, Haruka whipped around and glared at her.

"_You _are the cause of this mess! Pull yourself together already!"

"_Haru!"_

Nagisa was clinging onto Rei and the two looked on as Haruka and Makoto glowered some more at each other. Makoto came to stand in front of Kou protectively and for a second, a fleeting look of hurt passed over Haruka's face.

"You're taking _her _side?" He almost sounded accusing and Kou feared for the worst. Makoto sneered.

"What? You can't take care of yourself? You _need_ me? Why? You seemed perfectly fine on your own all this while. Why don't you go _practice?"_ If Nagisa looked like he'd been slapped, Haruka looked like someone had smashed his face against a wall and stepped all over it. The hurt on Haruka's face was obvious now.

"What are you saying Makoto…"

"Makoto san please!" Makoto ignored Kou's plea and looked directly in Haruka's eyes. Kou tried to stop him, she knew if he said whatever he was going to say, the damage would be too great. She knew she had to stop him before he regretted. She pushed herself between the two teens and pushed herself into Makoto's chest.

"Makoto san please! Don't do this!" Tears spilled down her cheeks as she tried to shake the meadow-haired teen. She somehow managed to get him to back off. She turned around, hoping to stop Haruka, but she was too late.

"Or what Makoto? _Or what?"_

"_Or nothing haru. Or absolutely nothing."_ Never in her life had Kou seen this side of either Makoto or Haruka. From the expression on Nagisa's face, she was sure that no one had. Maybe not even them. To think the kind Makoto who had stayed with her and comforted her all night had turned into the person standing in front of her, she found it too incredible to accept. Before anyone could react, Haruka reached forward and slapped Makoto across the face. It wasn't half as hard as when Kou had hit Rin, but she knew the act was what stung Makoto more than the slap. Makoto's eyes widened as he stared at Haruka. Haruka's eyes were instantly filled with regret for what he had done. He reached up, making to touch Makoto's face, his eyes pleading, "Mako-" Makoto stepped away. Haruka flinched at the rejection. Haruka was close to tears. "Makoto I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" Kou looked at Makoto and knew it was too late. After everything she had done the previous night to convince Makoto that Haruka cared about him, Haruka had torn down everything. That slap had altered Makoto to such an extent, Kou was afraid they'd lose him forever. Makoto's jaws clenched and unclenched several times. Then he looked at Haruka. Really _looked _at him. And the hurt and betrayal in his eyes were so intense, Kou wanted to hug him and scream that it wasn't what he was thinking.

"So this is your answer Haru." Before Haruka could respond, it was Nagisa and Kou that answered to Makoto. Both trying desperately to undo what Haruka had done. Haruka stood staring at Makoto, mouth unmoving, fear, confusion and uncertainty clear in his eyes. Makoto slowly nodded. Then he took one step back and started to walk away. Kou and Nagisa called after him, begging him to come back. Nagisa chased after him and Kou desperately turned to Haruka. Tears poured down from her swollen eyes and she clung to Haruka like he was her life line.

"Haruka san please go after him! You have to go after him Haruka san!" Kou screamed at Haruka, shaking him, slapping him, but Haruka just stared ahead of him. His eyes were slowly losing their light and the only thing reflected in the depths of the blue orbs was vulnerability and loneliness. Kou screamed with frustration. She'd already lost Haruka. She looked at Rei desperately and the other nodded once. Kou spun around and tore after Makoto. This was all her fault. Makoto's emotions had been stretched thin by Rin and she should have guessed he would break. Makoto was still exhausted both physically and mentally. They should have never come to the beach. She should have sent him straight home and told him to rest. She shouldn't have been so vulnerable and taken advantage of his kindness. She couldn't lose him. She had lost Rin and Rin had lost everyone he had ever held dear. The last thing she was going to let happen was Haruka and Makoto to drift apart. She'd rather die than see that happen. She caught sight of Nagisa's blonde head and shortly after, Makoto's sturdy back. She let out a strangled scream and forced her legs to run faster. She had to catch up with him before it was too late. The damage _had_ to be undone. She wasn't going to lose Makoto. She wasn't going to lose him.

"_Makoto san!"_

Kou's anguished cry echoed across the empty beach. Behind her she heard an anguished roar and she knew Haruka had broken free of whatever had been chaining him. Tears of hope flowed down Kou's cheeks.

'_Please let us make it. Please let us not lose him. Please please please..'_

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**A/n: For some reason I feel like I owe you guys the next chapter earlier than usual because- Yeah well. But! on the brighter side, there's some _actual _RinHaru action coming up soon!**

**P.s: This fic is turning out to be waaaay more dramatic than I expected it to be.**

**Review, Follow and Favorite!**

**Love~**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/n: Chapter 11! I've been so busy doing random things that the days go by so fast and I don't even know it's time to update the next chapter. I wanted to confess that torturing my favorite characters is something that brings me immense sadistic pleasure. -looks away guiltily- But hey! I always make up right? ^^' **

**Well anyway, a continuation from before. More RinHaru in this chapter and Makoto's feelings for Haruka.**

**Thank you for all the faving, following and reviewing! Keep at it guys~**

**Love~**

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_**Chapter 11**_

Haruka stood panting as he watched Kou and Nagisa race after Makoto. He had rushed after them but had tripped and fallen. He dusted his swim trunks and took a deep breath. He was about to chase after the trio when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Haru?" Haruka turned around slowly and looked at Rin. With some shock and surprise, Haruka found that Rin looked just as bad as Kou. Actually he looked worse. Haruka was sure Rin hadn't slept for a couple of days. The blue-eyed male turned around. This wasn't the time or place for him to face Rin. There were more important things he had to worry about.

'_Makoto…'_

"Wait Haru!" Rin grabbed the other's wrist and Haruka nearly pulled away, but the expression on Rin's face stalled him. Haruka felt his chest clench at the hopeless look in Rin's eyes. Haruka knew he had to run after Makoto. He knew that if he didn't go, what he did couldn't be undone. But the sight of Rin stopped Haruka from going after Makoto.

'_So this is your choice Haru..'_ Makoto's voice echoed in Haruka's head. Every vein in his body was screaming at him to go after Makoto. All he had to do was turn and run. But an image of a crying Rin flashed in his mind and Haruka couldn't. He couldn't abandon Rin. He reached up and pulled Rin into a hug, praying and hoping that he would be able to get Makoto to forgive him.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry Haru… It's all my fault.. I'm sorry.." Rin continued apologizing into Haruka's neck, his body trembling from unshed tears. Haruka wasn't sure what had happened, but he somehow connected two and two together and figured that Kou's state and Makoto's mood was directly related to Rin. Rin's behavior also backed his assumption. Haruka held Rin for a long time. He wasn't sure how long, but every second caused the sirens in his brain to blare louder. Every second was sending Makoto farther away from him and with every second, Rin was growing worse. At one point the redhead started sobbing against Haruka. The dolphin-like teen felt hot tears on his shoulder and he knew once and for all that he couldn't leave Rin. He couldn't abandon the pathetic male clinging on to him. In that instant, Haruka forgave Rin for every mistake he had ever made. To him nothing was more important than getting Rin to stop crying. He soothed the other, speaking soft and gentle words into Rin's ear. Several minutes – or maybe hours – passed before Rin quieted down. He sunk to the ground and leaned his head against a rock. Haruka sat beside him and watched him quietly. Finally Rin looked at him.

"Shouldn't you go after Makoto?" Haruka swallowed the lump in his throat but didn't answer. Rin shut his eyes and turned his head away.

"Go." Haruka opened his mouth to argue, but Rin placed a hand over it. "_Go._"

Haruka stared into Rin's eyes. He searched for the slightest expression or emotion, but Rin looked back at him with a blank look.

"_Go Haru._" Haruka hesitated. He didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

"Haru I will _not_ let you choose me over Makoto. Now _GO!"_ Haruka whipped around and ran towards where he had seen Makoto disappear.

Rin watched Haruka's receding figure. He leaned back against the rock and sighed heavily. He was ruining the lives of every person he ever cared about. First Haru, then Kou now he was even causing Makoto pain. Rin stared at the clouds passing above him and he watched as they covered the sun, throwing shadows along the white sand. Rin was tired. He was tired of everything. But most of all he was tired of being the cause for others' suffering. Why should he let them suffer when he was the one who was the cause? He was the one who disappeared. He was the one who left. Rin reminded himself of that fact over and over again. It was all _his fault._ He no longer belonged here anymore. He had gone and destroyed everything that could ever have been. With a sad clench of his heart, he realized that everyone had waited for him. Everyone had waited for him to come back. They had _believed_ that he would come back. And the whole time Rin had known. He had always known. And he had taken advantage of that knowledge for his own consolation. Just to placate his own hurt and hopelessness. Just to cover his own wounded pride. He had used their love for him and then ripped it and burned it and thrown it in their faces. Last night's events had finally forced him to accept the extent of damage he had done. He had never expected Kou to break down like that. He had never meant to hurt her. Or Makoto. Or Haruka. Or anybody else. But he had. He had hurt them and deeply. And nothing he said or did could change that. Rin laughed darkly. He didn't believe his own thoughts. Rin knew that just one word and they'd forgive him for all he was worth. One apology and he could go back to everything he had ever wanted. But his ego wouldn't let him. His pride caged him and chained him and forced him to do the exact opposite. His ego forced him to do everything possible to push them away. Everything except apologize. He admitted it himself. His ego was as big as the moon. And his very ego was what would lead to his downfall. Or rather it already had. Rin laughed again, a low lifeless sound that escaped from his throat. He decided then and there that he wouldn't let his ego best him. He swore then and there that if his ego wouldn't let him go back to what was, then he was going to destroy everything that could ever be. He wasn't about to be beaten by himself.

Rin stood up slowly, his thoughts increasing in intensity. That one idea was spreading through his mind like a plague. He found himself grinning savagely. He had finally found his answer. He had finally found a way to free himself. Rin turned around and began to jog towards home. He would need to take a few things from the place he would no longer call home. Then he would go to the dormitory. Hopefully Nitori wouldn't be too much of a pain. He wondered if he needed food, then as an after thought he decided he might as well take some of last night's dinner. Kou had outdone herself, even if it had been for Makoto and not him. He wiped the thought of his sister from his mind. He couldn't afford to think of people who meant something to him. Or rather _had_ meant. Because now Rin was alone. Now Rin had no one but himself and his ego. Rin quickened his pace as a maniacal laugh escaped from his throat. He bared his shark-like teeth. He knew what had to be done and he would do it as swiftly as possible.

* * *

"Makoto!" Haruka's voice sounded like a far away dream to Makoto. He continued to run. His lungs burned and his muscles screamed. He was physically and mentally spent. Last night's events had thoroughly drained him. He just wanted to crawl into a hole, curl up into a ball and escape from the world.

Yet he kept running. He heard Nagisa's and Kou's voices add to Haruka's. At one point he didn't even know why he was running anymore. He was the one who had caused Haruka to slap him. It was his own fault. So why was _he_ the one that was running away? Kou was hurt, Nagisa was hurt and Haru sure as hell was hurt. Yet Makoto was running away from them like he was the victim. His mind shouted at him to stop and go back, but his body refused to listen.

_Why_ he was running was beyond him. Was he afraid? _Afraid_ to face Haruka?_ Afraid _to face Kou and Nagisa? _Afraid? _Him? Of what? Makoto couldn't answer the question. He didn't even know what he was afraid of. He no longer understood his actions. They already were beyond senseless and stupid. Yet he continued to run. Every cell in his body was begging for respite. He was physically unable to carry on. Yet his legs moved mechanically under him. Like some unseen force was causing his limbs to move. His brain was obviously not the reason for his body moving. He knew his brain had completely switched off a while ago, if not literally. He could hear his heart beat in his ear. A steady _thump-thump_ that pounded the inside of his head. His breaths were coming in pants and gasps. He could feel his lungs heaving from the lack of air. Yet he continued to run.

At one point he tripped, his leg caught on a stone and he nearly went tumbling across the sand. But once again, some unseen force kept him upright. He wondered for a moment if it was his will power. If he was running from sheer will power and nothing else. But what was his will power against Haruka? There was no will power in the equation when it was something related to Haru. Haruka could make Makoto run across the world if he wanted to. And Makoto would do it without a second thought. He shamelessly admitted the fact like a mischievous child accepting that he stole some candy.

Then why was it that he was running _away_ from Haruka and not _towards_ him. Now that made absolutely no sense to Makoto. Why in the world was he running away from Haruka? He didn't know. He had absolutely no clue. His brain refused to form more than two coherent thoughts at once. So he continued to run.

Again he felt his leg catch against something and this time he felt his balance fail him. Whatever unseen forces had been keeping him upright seemed to have tired of helping him. Makoto saw the gravel underneath him. He knew that if he fell against it face first, it would hurt. Then from far away he heard a loud honk. Something caused him to turn his head to the left and he saw a water tanker coming towards him. Everything was happening as though in slow motion. Makoto knew he would fall. He knew he didn't have the strength to stop himself from falling. He knew he didn't have the strength to push himself off the road. He heard Kou scream. He saw the truck coming. Yet his mind was crystal clear when it accepted the fact that he would be hit by the truck. He watched the red headlights and only one thought passed through his mind as he shut his eyes;

'_Haru…'_

* * *

**A/n: Cliffhangers always kill me. Hence the need to cause others to feel the same pain and thrill and unbridled hair-pulling, nail-biting, head-banging urge. Ufufufufufufufu~ Thank y'all for reading! Stay tuned for Chapter 12!**

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**Love~**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/n: I am so sorry for the super late update! I got side-tracked with a lot of stuff and completely forgot ;A;**

**Well here's a continuation of the previous chapter.**

**I've added a recap just so you don't have to re-read to get the flow of things.**

**Thank you all for reading!**

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**Love~**

* * *

_**Recap:**_

_"Makoto!" Haruka's voice sounded like a far away dream to Makoto. He continued to run. His lungs burned and his muscles screamed. He was physically and mentally spent. Last night's events had thoroughly drained him. He just wanted to crawl into a hole, curl up into a ball and escape from the world. Yet he kept running. _

_He heard Nagisa's and Kou's voices add to Haruka's. At one point he didn't even know why he was running anymore. He was the one who had caused Haruka to slap him. It was his own fault. So why was he the one that was running away? Kou was hurt, Nagisa was hurt and Haru sure as hell was hurt. Yet Makoto was running away from them like he was the victim. His mind shouted at him to stop and go back, but his body refused to listen. Why he was running was beyond him. _

_Was he afraid? Afraid to face Haruka? Afraid to face Kou and Nagisa? Afraid? Him? Of what? Makoto couldn't answer the question. He didn't even know what he was afraid of. He no longer understood his actions. They already were beyond senseless and stupid. Yet he continued to run. Every cell in his body was begging for respite. He was physically unable to carry on. Yet his legs moved mechanically under him. Like some unseen force was causing his limbs to move. His brain was obviously not the reason for his body moving. He knew his brain had completely switched off a while ago, if not literally. He could hear his heart beat in his ear. A steady thump-thump that pounded the inside of his head. His breaths were coming in pants and gasps. He could feel his lungs heaving from the lack of air. _

_Yet he continued to run. At one point he tripped, his leg caught on a stone and he nearly went tumbling across the sand. But once again, some unseen force kept him upright. He wondered for a moment if it was his will power. If he was running from sheer will power and nothing else. But what was his will power against Haruka? There was no will power in the equation when it was something related to Haru. Haruka could make Makoto run across the world if he wanted to. And Makoto would do it without a second thought. He shamelessly admitted the fact like a mischievous child accepting that he stole some candy. Then why was it that he was running away from Haruka and not towards him. Now that made absolutely no sense to Makoto. _

_Why in the world was he running away from Haruka? He didn't know. He had absolutely no clue. His brain refused to form more than two coherent thoughts at once. So he continued to run. Again he felt his leg catch against something and this time he felt his balance fail him. Whatever unseen forces had been keeping him upright seemed to have tired of helping him. Makoto saw the gravel underneath him. He knew that if he fell against it face first, it would hurt. _

_Then from far away he heard a loud honk. Something caused him to turn his head to the left and he saw a water tanker coming towards him. Everything was happening as though in slow motion. Makoto knew he would fall. He knew he didn't have the strength to stop himself from falling. He knew he didn't have the strength to push himself off the road. He heard Kou scream. He saw the truck coming. Yet his mind was crystal clear when it accepted the fact that he would be hit by the truck. He watched the red headlights and only one thought passed through his mind as he shut his eyes,_

_'Haru…'_

* * *

_**Chapter 12**_

Haruka stared outside the window for god knows how long. But he didn't see a thing. The sprawling landscape that was visible from the third floor hospital window meant nothing to him. His eyes were blind. He couldn't see or hear or feel. Someone was constantly saying something to him. The sound was like an annoying buzz in his head. He couldn't hear what they were saying. Haruka continued to stare outside the window. At one point, a truck carrying several silver plates pased underneath and the metal reflected the sun directly into Haruka's eyes. He squinted and when the truck passed, he could see nothing but white. Haruka stood up suddenly. He leant out from the window as though something was beckoning to him. He would have fallen out if not for the several pairs of arms that pulled him back in. When Haruka's sight was no longer white, he was staring at several worried faces shouting incorrigible things to him. Haruka looked away. He was sick of having to listen to their incoherent babble. Nothing they said made sense to him so why did they keep talking? Haruka just wanted to jump into a pool of water and let himself sink into its depths. The idea appealed to him and he stood up. He was going to go find a water source and-

"Haruka san please just sit down!" Kou shrieked and with Nagisa and Rei's help, they successfully restrained Haruka in the hard plastic chair. Haruka frowned up at the three of them. Kou wanted to slap the teen. But she restrained herself and instead commanded Nagisa and Rei to keep a hold of him. Haruka writhed and struggled and a confused expression overcame his face. Like he was wondering what invisible forces were keeping him tied to the chair. Whatever. Kou had other things to worry about. She was just about to say something to Rei, when two children barreled into her, throwing her across the floor.

"Ran! Ren! You're hurting her!" Mrs. Tachibana pulled the twins off of Kou and Mr. Tachibana helped her stand up, an apologetic smile on his face. The second Kou was sitting in one of the plastic chairs by the wall, the twins immediately started badgering her with questions - most of which made no sense to her - owing to the fact that they were crying and slobbering and screaming simultaneously. When Kou didn't answer their questions, they attacked Haruka. The latter, after a time, simply thwacked both siblings on the head and flicked them in the forehead. That effectively shut them both up as they ran to their mother and sat on either side of her.

Mr. and Mrs. Tachibana had arrived at the hospital just as the ambulance had pulled up in front of it. Kou hadn't known what to expect, but what she didn't expect was the kind smiles both of them gave her and the reassuring hug Mrs. Tachibana gave her when she introduced herself. Now she knew where Makoto's kind and calm personality came from. Whether they were simply putting up a front so as to not worry the rest of them or whether they were actually that calm, Kou couldn't tell. But Makoto's parents had visibly relaxed when they had heard that their son had escaped with minor injuries to his head and upper body. Their smiles had seemed kinder and warmer after they had come out of the ICU and they had promised that they would ask the doctors to let the rest of them see Makoto once they brought the twins there. Now they were talking to the doctor in charge and after several quiet words shared back and forth, the doctor nodded and walked towards Kou and the rest.

"We generally don't let non-relatives into the ICU, but since Mr. and Mrs. Tachibana pleaded, I have agreed to let you see the patient two at a time." Kou nodded and stood up. She walked to Haruka and pulled him up. Thankfully the latter didn't make a fuss. Nagisa whined and asked why he couldn't go first, but one look from Kou shut him up. The girl dragged the other into the ICU behind the doctor and they stopped inside the door. Neither moved until the doctor had shut the door behind him, leaving the three of them alone in the room. Kou brought her hands to her face and sobbed into them as she saw Makoto smile at them. She rushed to his side and carefully enveloped him in a hug.

"Oh Makoto san I'm so glad you're okaaaaay! I thought you dieeeed!" Kou wailed and Makoto laughed sheepishly and tried to pacify the girl. Then there was a noise behind them and the two turned to see Haruka walk up behind Kou. She moved aside to give him space. Haruka just stood there, staring down at Makoto.

"H-Haru?" Haruka raised his hand and slapped Makoto hard. The slap echoed within the room and a second later the doctor and two nurses rushed in. Kou groaned inwardly and ran to the door, ushering the panicking doctor and nurses outside and reassuring them that everything was alright.

"Ouch.. That hurt Haru-" Haruka cut Makoto off by crushing him in a tight hug. Makoto winced but put his arms around Haruka.

"You bloody fool!" Haruka screamed at him, tears pooling in his eyes. Makoto looked at his childhood friend with alarm and tried to console him before he began to cry. Haruka wiped away the tears angrily and raised his hand as if to slap Makoto again. Makoto flinched when Haruka brought his palm down and laid it softly against the other's cheek.

"You idiot." Haruka whispered and laid his forehead against Makoto's.

"Sorry.." Makoto mumbled and hugged Haruka. They stayed like that for several minutes and Haruka finally pulled away.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to slap you." Makoto wanted to ask which slap Haruka was referring to but - thankfully - chose not to. Instead, he shook his head and said,

"I deserved it."

"Yeah you did." They stared at each other in silence for a few more minutes and then Haruka raised his hand and caressed Makoto's cheek where he had slapped him.

"I love you Makoto." The smile that spread on Makoto's face was a genuinely happy one.

"I love you too Haru. Always."

"I know. So don't go jumping in front of trucks again or next time I'll beat you up." Makoto laughed sheepishly and Haruka glared at him. Kou cleared her throat and the duo turned to look at her curiously. She looked away and blushed.

"W-Well the doctor says time's up and Nagisa kun and Rei kun are impatient so.." Haruka glared at her and opened his mouth to scold her, but Makoto cut him off.

"Oh! Well send them in then!" Haruka looked at Makoto with betrayal painted all over his face. Makoto simply laughed and did something that shocked and embarrassed both Haruka and Kou. He leaned forward and kissed Haruka on the forehead.

"I'll see you soon so don't sulk ok?" Haruka pouted but nodded and followed Kou out the door. The second they stepped out, Nagisa bounded in screaming Makoto's name. The doctor and nurses scowled at the lot of them and Kou smiled back apologetically. The two went and sat on the plastic chairs by the window. Makoto's family had apparently gone to the ward Makoto was to be shifted to and that left Kou and Haruka alone in the corridor. They sat in silence and watched Nagisa talking animatedly to Makoto through the glass panel. Kou sighed and rubbed the tiredness from her eyes.

"Sorry." She looked at Haruka when the other spoke.

"Eh? For what?" Haruka gave her a look but simply said,

"For saying it was your fault." Kou made an 'o' with her mouth and then whacked him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it! It _was_ my fault anyway!"

"No I'm sure it was Rin's.." Kou stopped mid-whack and stared at Haruka. Then she sighed and briefly explained everything that had happened the previous day. By the end of it Haruka had a deep frown on his face.

"You and Makoto _kissed?_"

"_That's_ what you're worried about?!"

Haruka continued to frown at her and Kou sighed.

"It was an accident!"

"Really?"

"_Yes!"_

"Okay." Haruka continued to sulk though and Kou wished she had a bucket of ice-cold water to dunk on his head. Finally Nagisa and Rei stepped out, both more cheerful than before and the Iwatobi Swim Team – minus Makoto – left the hospital.

* * *

Kou stared at the dark house. Something was wrong. It was late and not a single light was turned on in the house. With the whole accident with Makoto, Kou had completely forgotten about Rin. She felt guilty about it, even though she was still mad at her brother.

"Onii chan?" She called cautiously, not knowing what to expect. When she got no answer, she skipped out of her boots and hurriedly went around calling after Rin.

"Onii chan where are you?!" When she found that the house was truly empty, she started to panic. There was a bad taste in her mouth and she felt like something was very very wrong. And her instinct was always right. She pulled out her cellphone and fumbled with the keys. Finally she placed the device to her ear and listened to the _ring-ring_ with growing apprehension. Nitori answered on the eighth ring.

"Matsuoka san? Is something wr-"

"Nitori kun is my brother there?"

"Eh? Matsuoka senpai? Why would he be here?"

"What?"

"He told me that he was spending the weekend at ho-" Kou snapped her phone shut and swore loudly.

'_Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit! Where did he go?!' _Then Kou decided to try her luck and dialed Rin's phone number. The call never connected. Kou screamed with frustration and crumpled to the floor. She was tired and she couldn't deal with this.

'_Where the hell did you go you baka Onii chan?!' _Kou took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She had to think.

Rin had obviously run away from home. The fact that last night's leftovers were gone was proof enough. He wasn't at the dorms obviously. He definitely wasn't at Makoto's or Haruka's and definitely not at Nagisa's or Rei's. Nitori had no idea where he was so she was sure as hell Mikoshiba wouldn't have a clue. So where could Rin go? Kou stared at the family portrait standing on the table in the living room and it clicked. She ran to the back of the house and clicked on the switch to open the garage door.

'_Come on come on come on..'_ When it was half way up, she slipped in and turned on the lights, all the fears that were at the back of her mind slowly coming to the forefront. What Kou saw made her want to pull her hair out.

The speedboat that their father had used to go fishing in had vanished. The sheet that covered it lay discarded on the floor. Kou looked around and saw that their father's fishing and diving gear was missing too. She searched through the shelves and found that Rin had taken both the toolboxes and the spare engine with him. Kou swallowed back a sob and blinked rapidly to stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks. From the looks of it, it hadn't been over two or three hours since Rin left. Meaning he should be at one of the surrounding islands by now. Kou closed the garage and ran towards the pier where the boats were docked. She saw that except for two, all the boats were docked. So she assumed that two other groups of men had sailed to the islands. Whether they were with Rin or on the same island as him, she didn't know. She guessed not. Kou squinted into the distance and tried to gauge which of the islands Rin might be on. Of the several islands, three were about five kilometers from there and her brother could be on any one of them.

'_Damnit Onii chan! Did you have to run away now?!'_

Kou spun around and ran back home. Their mother was away for the weekend and even if she were to come home early, Kou could just tell her Rin went back to the dorms. She ran up the stairs and to her room. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she stared at her phone. Who could she call to help her search for her brother? It was already late evening and the tide was high, so there was no hope for going after Rin that day. She could only hope to find someone to help her search for him the next morning. Her first thought was of Makoto. And instantly her heart sank. Makoto was in no state to go hunting for Rin. Maybe in a couple of days he'd be alright but Kou refused to go to him again for help. Both her and Rin had caused Makoto enough pain. She wasn't about to drag him into their problems again. That only left Haruka. She knew the blue-haired teen would help her look for Rin, but for some reason she didn't want to rely on just Haruka. She sighed. Looks like she'd have to get the whole lot involved if she hoped to find her brother before he got himself killed. Kou took a deep breath and dialed Mikoshiba's number. Might as well start with the most troublesome of the lot.

* * *

**A/n: That's all for Chapter 12! Another cliff hanger x) What do you think happened to Rin? Will they find him? Will they manage to bring him back? Will they manage to right the wrongs? Stay tuned for 13!**

**P.s, I might change the rating of this fic depending on the chapters to come. Hopefully not..**

**Review, Follow and favorite!**

**Love~**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/n: Chapter 13 everyone! I'm really sorry for the late updates :/**

**I promise they'll be regular from the next chapter. Well, more RinHaru, Rin's feelings, Haru trying to understand him, Kou's feelings and feels in general in this chapter.**

**Also, for all the Mikoshiba fans, no offence, but I for some reason picture him as this hyper active, slightly annoying character that people generally don't take seriously. I really don't know why. I love him though, so xD**

**That's all of my babbling, Review, favorite and Follow!**

**More RinHaru from the next chapter. Actually, I might just have to change the rating of this fic soon...**

**Love~**

* * *

_**Chapter 13**_

Kou stared at the clock on top of her study table. It read 4 a.m and she sighed. She hadn't been able to get more than an hour or two of sleep in the past 48 hours. She was tired and wanted nothing more than to sink into dreamland, but obviously that was impossible now. She sat up and stared at her hands in the dark. Her mind continued to wander and she tried to remember the last time her family had spent time together. Kou found the task impossible, because she had been very young when their father had died. Rin himself barely remembered their father. So she thought of the time when Rin had forced their mother to take them to the new amusement park that had come up on one of the nearby islands. Rin had been scared to go on most of the rides and Kou didn't reach the height requirement, so they had ended up going on the Ferris wheel about five times. Despite her constant complaining, she remembered the day to have been extremely fun. She found herself smiling fondly at the memory. Even though Rin had left and gone to follow his dreams or whatever, Kou missed him. She missed what little time she ever spent with her brother. And now he had vanished again. Kou clenched her hands into fists and frowned at them. If Rin was stubborn, so was she. They shared the same blood after all. She wasn't going to let him run away from his life again. This time she'd find him and drag him back if she had to. Kou swore to herself that she'd bring her brother back if it were the last thing she ever did. She wasn't going to let him shut himself away from the world and drown himself in his sorrows again. Kou lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. The day was going to be long and she wanted to get atleast an hour of rest before setting out on the search for her stupid, irresponsible brother.

* * *

Haruka raised his hand to shade his eyes, as he squinted into the distance. He tried to figure out which of the three islands Rin was most likely to be on. He continued to stare but could barely make out anything on the islands from that distance. He sighed and took a wild guess.

"So you're saying we're going to go to _every single _island around here looking for Matsuoka?"

"You know.. I'm Matsuoka too. And anyway, I said we're going to look on the three islands closest to here. Don't you ever listen when people are talking?" Kou crossed her arms and looked at Mikoshiba. The latter ruffled his hair and shrugged.

"Eitherways it'd be impossible to find Matsuo- Rin with just the six of us." Kou didn't want to agree with him. She looked around at the faces of the people she'd gathered to look for Rin. Nagisa and Nitori looked extremely determined. Rei looked tired and confused. Mikoshiba was just getting on her nerves and Haruka hadn't opened his mouth once and continued to stare off into the distance. Kou started to wonder if they'd ever manage to find Rin.

"Well anyway we'll start off by searching that island." Kou pointed to the smallest of the three closest islands that was on the far right. Haruka was the first to agree.

"Yeah I have a feeling Rin might be there." Mikoshiba raised an eyebrow at Haruka.

"You have a _feeling?_ We're going on a manhunt based on nothing but a _feeling?_ Don't joke with me! What makes you think Matsu- Rin will be on that island?"

"Instinct." Both Haruka and Kou said in unison. Mikoshiba had a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Are you serious?!" Everyone ignored him and followed Kou as she walked to the pier. She stopped near a fairly large fishing boat that was off white and peeling with age and lack of use. It said 'Kin' on the side, meaning Gold but was actually a portmanteau (A/n: wiki/Portmanteau) of her and her brother's names, Kou and Rin. She climbed on to it and waited for the boat to stop swaying. The others followed on board and inspected the vessel.

"So please tell me you know how to move this thing." Mikoshiba patted the boat and said to Kou. The girl merely shrugged and looked around at their small group.

"I was hoping one of you would know."

"I thought as much." Mikoshiba groaned and sunk to the floor. Kou frowned. Suddenly they were all thrown back as the boat lunged forward and bounced across the water. They flew forwards as the rope that connected the boat to the dock pulled them back. Everyone turned to gawk at Haruka as the male stared at the controls with concentration. Rei had the sense to untie them before the boat ripped in half. The second the boat was lose, it flew across the water and zigged and zagged as Haruka struggled to gain control over it. The group on deck was thrown all over the place until the boat sputtered to a stop. Several dishelved teens turned once again to look at Haruka in the control room. The latter nodded and stroked his chin.

"Yeah I think I got it."

"You can _drive _this thing?!" Haruka looked back at five pairs of wide eyes and frowned.

"Makoto's dad took us on a lot of fishing trips when we were kids. He taught us how to handle a fishing boat. This one's a slightly older model but the controls are basically the same so we should be okay." It took several more seconds for all of them to get to their feet and get over the shock that Haruka could steer a boat. Once they were settled, the vessel whizzed across the ocean and towards the island closest to them. Despite the lack of use and maintenance, the old boat was doing a fine job of speeding over the water – much to Haruka's delight. It took them a good portion of an hour to reach their destination. Once they were there, they moored the boat at one of the docks and decided to split off and look for Rin. After two hours of searching, Mikoshiba had called to them from a small hill. The group had trooped over to him and he had proudly displayed his discovery.

"Huh? Don't you think this is evidence enough that Rin was here?" Kou walked past him and stared down to part of the beach that continued from the hill.

"Or it could be the remnants of a campsite made by a bunch of families on vacation." Everyone came to stand beside her and look at the groups of families scattered across the beach playing volleyball and relaxing. Mikoshiba's shoulders slumped with obvious disappointment. Rei pushed up his glasses.

"Maybe we could ask them if they saw Rin san." Kou thought for a moment and nodded.

"Yeah that could save us a lot of time and effort." And so the group went forth questioning the tourists whether they had seen a redhead with shark like teeth and a haughty look. Nagisa was the one to get any valuable information.

"I found him~ Apparently Rin chan's near here and the island there." Mikoshiba scoffed and said, "I _told_ you he wouldn't be here." Nagisa gave him a look and continued-

"Apparently he had stayed over night with the families here and had gone to help them fish in the morning since the fish there are bigger or something." Kou wanted to hit her brother. What idiot runs away from home and goes fishing with a random group of tourists?! She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"And did they say when they might be coming back?" Nagisa shrugged.

"Maybe an hour, maybe a few hours, maybe tomorrow."

"I am _not _spending the night on some island with a bunch of guys." Kou stomped towards three women, bent upon getting some answers. The others just shrugged and began to relax, knowing that they'd have to wait anyway.

* * *

It was well past sunset when the men had returned in two fishing boats – one that Kou recognized as the one missing from their garage. The group had stomped over to Rin and grabbed the confused teen before he could make a run for it. They had tied Rin up to a coconut tree and stood around their hostage, Kou at the head. She tapped her foot on the sand and looked down at her shame-faced brother.

"Well? Are you perhaps going to explain yourself, Oh brother of mine?" Rin simply growled and turned away, a stubborn look on his face. A vein popped on Kou's forehead. She stomped over to him, squatted, plucked his chin up and forced him to look at her.

"_What_ were you _thinking _when you ran away Onii chan?" Rin refused to answer. She frowned as tears pooled in her eyes. Again she forced him to look at her, red eyes reflecting in each other.

"Did you even stop for a moment and think how _worried_ we would be that you had disappeared?!" Rin dropped his gaze as angry tears slid down Kou's face.

"Onii chan you really are an idiot.." Kou whispered. Sighing, she got up and stomped off to god knows where. Thankfully Rei and Nagisa followed after her. Next, Haruka came and squatted in front of Rin.

"What? Are you going to give me a lecture too?" Rin spat at his rival.

"Makoto nearly died because of you." Rin's eyebrows met in a frown as confusion washed over his face.

"Huh?" Then Haruka narrated an exaggerated tale of how Makoto nearly got hit by a truck because Rin had caused him to become mentally unstable. That obviously affected Rin a whole lot more than Haruka thought it would. He hung his head and muttered an apology. Nitori and Mikoshiba had wandered off – probably to look for the others and save themselves from being in an awkward situation – leaving Haruka alone with a tied up Rin.

"You won't come back will you?"

Rin looked up slowly to stare into Haruka's earnest blue eyes. He scowled and opened his mouth, but couldn't find the right words to say.

"It's alright Rin. We forgive you. So don't do this to yourself."

Rin snorted and looked away, his hair hanging limply over his face like a red curtain. Haruka sighed and sat cross-legged in front of him. Neither teen moved nor did Haruka untie Rin, lest he should run away and Kou would have Haruka's head. They sat in silence for several minutes, the only sounds coming from the campsite of the tourists farther down the beach.

"Why?" Rin finally said, his voice cracked and tired. Rin's question could have meant a lot of things, especially to Haruka, but the answer seemed obvious.

"Because we care Rin." After what seemed like several agonizing minutes, Rin finally looked at Haruka. His face was contorted in an expression that was a mixture of rage, hatred, confusion, helplessness and possibly gratitude. Haruka reached over and tucked Rin's hair behind a ear.

"You don't have to do this to yourself Rin." The blue haired teen said again, in a softer voice. Rin shook his head and hung it in shame, like he didn't deserve their kindness. Haruka shifted and made a final effort to reach out to Rin.

"Talk to me Rin." Haruka's sentence seemed to have an effect on Rin. He slowly raised his head and rasped, "Untie me. I won't run away." Haruka hesitated for a moment – more so in thought of Kou's reaction to when she saw Rin was untied, than to the fact that Rin would run away – and finally pulled off the ropes that held the redhead. Rin winced and rubbed his arms and wrists where the rope had cut into his skin. Then he leaned against the tree and stared at the cluster of stars above.

"What do you want me to say?"

Haruka shrugged but didn't answer. Several more minutes of silence followed and Rin continued to stare at the ink blue sky just as Haruka continued to stare at the redhead. Finally Rin spoke again,

"Well I'm sure the reason why I ran away is obvious." Haruka shifted and said in a soft voice, "I'm dumb Rin. I won't know unless you tell me."

Rin snorted and smirked at Haruka. "That I won't argue with. Your head is filled with nothing other than water related thoughts." Haruka frowned but didn't say anything. Rin turned his head skyward again.

"Haaaaah how do I even start? Should I say that I ran away because I thought I didn't have a place with you guys anymore? Or should I say I ran away because I wanted to end my relationship with you guys? Or maybe I should say I'm a big fat fucking idiot who thought by running away I'd solve a lot of your problems." Rin's voice was strained and caught several times, like the effort of talking was too great. Haruka's heart grew heavy as he listened to Rin. He knew that the other blamed himself for everything. Haruka wanted to say something to reassure Rin that everyone still loved and cared about him, but nothing he could say would convince the redhead otherwise.

"Rin-"

"Don't Haru. Just don't. I don't want your sympathy or pity. I brought this on myself and I'll deal with it on my own."

"By running away? Is that how you're going to deal with it?" Rin didn't have an answer to that. Haruka then thought back to the previous day and said what he thought Makoto would say-

"If not for any of us or even for yourself, go back for Kou, Rin. Go back for your family." Rin's eyes shone with guilt and hatred towards himself.

"I _can't_ Haru. I _can't _go back. I can't hurt Kou anymore than I already have. I can't stand the thought of hurting my little sister anymore."

And Rin cried.

Haruka was startled that Rin was so deeply disturbed that he had hurt Kou. He pulled Rin towards him. The other resisted initially but then gave in, if only for a moment. Then again Rin looked at Haru with hard eyes,

"I told you I don't want your pity Haru."

"It's not pity Rin-"

"I know Haru. Just, don't okay?" Haruka felt torn between his need to comfort Rin and his want to slap some sense into the other. Haruka couldn't for the life of him, understand why Rin was doing this to himself. Rin obviously knew all the answers to his questions, yet he continued to punish himself – there by punishing everyone who cared for him. If Rin were to say 'I know you'll let me come back if I apologize', Haruka knew that Rin himself knew what the response to that would be. They'd say they wanted no apology but just for Rin to come back. Haruka knew this and Haruka knew Rin knew it too. Yet he continued to harass himself in such a manner that Haruka found completely ununderstandable. Makoto had once told Haruka that it was Rin's pride that was making him do whatever he was doing. But what Haruka didn't understand was _why_ Rin was letting his pride get the best of him _knowingly._

Rin _knew _what the source of the problem was, yet he failed to grasp the solution. Rin would rather push away the solution to his problem and dwell in his suffering than put an end to it. And Haruka simply could not understand this. He wondered if Kou or anyone else realized this. Maybe if they did, they could come up with another solution for Rin. Haruka knew that Rin would never be able to handle this problem on his own. There were too many minute details interwoven among themselves causing the problem to be more complicated than it actually was. Or maybe, Haruka thought, maybe the problem itself was simple but they were all complicating it for no reason at all. Haruka rubbed his eyes. He was tired. As he knew everyone else, including Rin, was. Why couldn't they simply end this without dragging it out much longer? He had said the question out loud and Rin gave him the answer just as he himself came upon it.

"Because Haru, the problem itself is me."

* * *

**A/n: The next update will be over a week from now because i am going on a shitty college trip that I _Absolutely DO NOT Want To Go On._ But I don't have a choice, T_T So-**

**See you guys in a week!**

**The only thing I can leave you with, is the hope for a lot more RinHaru to come.**

**Love~**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14 **_

They had ended up spending the night on the island – much to Kou's frustration. Rin refused to come back and the others were too tired and hungry to persuade him otherwise. So the group had camped with the other families. They had eaten the fish that Rin and the others had caught – Haruka the only one who seemed happy about this – then they had borrowed a spare tent from the tourists and along with Rin's tent, managed to fit themselves in and fall asleep. Kou had refused to share a tent with Nitori and Nagisa. She said she'd rather sleep with the women from the tourist families than with a bunch of boys. Which she had done, giving the boys more room to themselves in the cramped tents.

Morning had come, followed by seven teenagers in varying degrees of foul moods – the foulest of them belonging to Kou and Rin – and the ones who seems least bothered were Nagisa and Mikoshiba who were full of energy. And that pissed the siblings off even more. They just scowled the entire time and refused to talk. Rin decided to come back, if only to get Kou to shut up, the girl not caring one bit what his reason was as long as they could leave that godforsaken island. And so they headed back in the two boats, Rin speeding ahead while Haruka and the rest followed behind. The second they had docked, Rin had gone to ask the beach authorities to spare him a truck so he could take the two boats back home. It had taken awhile to make all the arrangements, but finally everyone was sitting in the Matsuoka's living room - the two boats safely tucked away in the garage along with everything Rin had 'borrowed' – and a heavy silence hung over the room. Kou sent a mental thanks to their mother for postponing her return home. Rin wasn't half as happy about it.

"Alright then, how about I make you guys something to eat. Oh and Nagisa kun there's a bunch of handsets in the cupboard where the PS3 is, so feel free to use them." That visibly lightened the mood, as Nagisa, Nitori, Mikoshiba and Rei played on the PS3. Rin never uttered a word but just silently sat sulking at the dining table, opposite Haruka. Kou whipped up some snacks and gave them to the playing boys in the living room who were shouting and swearing and having the time of their lives.

"Why the _fuck_ are those dopes in _our_ house, playing with _our _PS3, eating _our _food and acting like they own the place?"

"Shut up Onii chan."

And that was the end of any chance for conversation between the trio. After eating whatever Kou put in front of him, if only to placate his sister and not from hunger, Rin stood up and wandered off to his room. Kou turned and looked at Haruka. A silent communication passed between them and Haruka stood and followed Rin. Kou sighed and sat down at the table. She watched the boys in her living room for a time and then picked up her phone. She typed a simple text and sent it to Makoto- 'Hello Makoto san, how are you doing? I'm sorry we didn't come visit yesterday. We had gone.. treasure hunting. It was quite an experience. I hope you're doing fine. I'll make sure to come and visit today. Love, Kou.' Kou stared at the text and wondered if maybe she shouldn't have typed 'love'. Shrugging, she flipped the phone shut. How much damage could it do anyway? The redhead jumped when she got an immediate reply. Fumbling with the device, she flipped it open and scrolled through the message- 'Hi Kou chan! Yeah, I was quite disappointed that no one visited yesterday but I'm perfectly fine now! My family had been in and out the whole day so I wasn't lonely. Waiting for your visit~ :D Lots of love, Makoto.'

Kou stared at the smileys and then at the 'love' and found her face turning hot. She shook her head and flipped the phone shut. She couldn't think of an appropriate reply and she was going to visit anyway, so it should be alright. Right?

Meanwhile the four boys in the living room played to their hearts content without a care in the world.

* * *

Kou took a deep breath and finally looked at Makoto. She had left the boys at home - praying they don't burn the house down - and had come to visit Makoto. Out of obligation and guilt she had told him everything had happened, without looking at him once. Finally after her tale, she waited for his reaction. Makoto just sat quietly, pondering over everything Kou had told him. Then he turned and looked at her with a worried expression on his face.

"Are you sure you're okay Kou chan? This whole thing must have upset you the most I'm sure. Plus you did everything yourself and-" Makoto went on for another few minutes about how concerned he was about Kou and the girl felt her love for the older teen grow. She smiled and waved off his concern as best as she could.

"I can't say I'm perfectly fine, but I handled the situation better than I expected. Thanks for your concern though Makoto san." The meadow-haired teen didn't seem convinced but didn't push the topic further.

"Anyway you look a lot better!" Kou said cheerily and patted his shoulder. Makoto smiled and found himself ruffling Kou's hair. "So do you." He said kindly. Again, Kou found her face flush and her chest tighten. She let herself revel in the feel of Makoto's big hands pat her, if only for just then. She wasn't sure what her feelings for the older teen were, but she sure as hell wasn't ever going to let them be known. The two sat and talked for some more time. They talked about nothing of importance. Just this and that. Makoto told her about the time he and Nagisa had to literally put Haruka in a strait jacket to stop him from stripping every two seconds when they had gone to a wedding at the beach and Kou told him about the time Rin had come home with a swollen cheek because he had gotten into a fight and had gotten his tooth punched out. The two had laughed about it and finally Kou had taken her leave, promising to bring the others the next day.

As she walked home, Kou let the events of the past few days sift through her mind. She realized that a whole lot of people had gotten hurt because of her brother, him probably the most. Kou wondered what she would have done if they hadn't found Rin and managed to bring him home. How would she have faced her mother. Kou swallowed the lump in her throat and calmed herself down. Rin had come back. Things would be rocky between all of them for awhile, but she was sure with Haruka's and Makoto's help, she could cure her brother. It was just a matter of time. When Kou returned home, the lights were off and she immediately panicked. She rushed inside and called for her brother.

"Onii chan? Are you the-" She was cut off by a sudden roar and she blinked as the living room lights came on. All the boys were there, including her brother and – she gaped- Makoto?! The other smiled sheepishly and shrugged. She knew that meant she'd get an explanation for this later.

"What's going on?" She asked slowly, eyeing the decorations and sparkles that were strewn hurriedly around the living room. In answer, Haruka emerged holding a big chocolate cake that read 'Happy Birthday Kou' on it. Kou gaped at it. Her… Birthday? Her eyes widened as Nagisa and Mikoshiba ushered her in. then they lit the candles on the cake and cheered for her to blow them out.

"Make a wish!" Someone cried and Kou did. The boys cheered and clapped and the redhead felt her eyes turning moist. She smiled at the lot of them and opened her mouth to thank them, but before she could, she was enveloped in a bear hug and gasped out. They all screamed and shouted for another ten minutes while taking turns hugging Kou and shaking her hands. The whole time Kou was trying hard to keep her tears at bay. After a time, the boys said good night and trooped out of the front door. Kou caught Makoto's wrist just as he exited.

"Makoto san! How-" Makoto turned and smiled down at her. Then he winked – Kou desperately tried to stop her face from turning red – and raised a finger to his lips.

"Some secrets are better off remaining as secrets." Kou pouted. He laughed and ruffled her hair again. Then waving goodnight, he walked to Nagisa and Rei who were taking him back to the hospital. Kou smiled after him and closed the door behind her. She sighed happily.

'_Maybe things aren't going to be so bad after all.'_

* * *

Rin groaned. This was too much. He thought he could get away for once and his plans were completely ruined. He cursed his sister and her meddlesome nature. He leaned back against his bed and sighed. He was sitting on the floor of his room, lights off, wondering what to do with his life. He leaned his head back onto the mattress and shut his eyes. His mind wandered to a couple of hours before…

-o-o-o-o-o-

Rin threw his backpack on the floor and stormed into the room. He kicked his dustbin and watched it crash against the wall, it's contents flying all over the already messy room. He growled and flomped onto the bed, burying his head in his pillow. He was too busy grumbling curses to hear the door open slowly. Rin jumped when someone sat down next to him. He whipped around, wide eyed, only to see Haruka who was dutifully staring at the dustbin across the floor. Rin flopped back down, this time on his back and glared at the ceiling. The silence stretched out for several minutes. Finally frustrated, Rin opened his mouth, meaning to break the ice and was cut off by Haruka's soft voice.

"What are you planning to do now?"

He was expecting it. He really was. He had spent the entire boat ride home coming up with an answer and had failed miserably. There was no way in hell he could get away from this though.

"It's none of your business." Rin grumbled. To his shock, Haruka whipped around and glared at him. He then proceeded to lean over Rin and place a hand on the other side of the redhead's head, effectively trapping him. Rin looked up at Haruka. Haruka's bangs were hanging over Rin's face, an inch away from him and he found himself staring into ocean blue eyes. Haruka opened his mouth and started to say something, but Rin was too lost in the blue to listen to the words coming out of the other's mouth. Had Haru's eyes always been so… blue? He continued to stare, his face reflected in the blue orbs.

"-are you listening to me Rin?" Rin snapped out of his stupor and blinked. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Y-Yeah.." Haruka bent even lower, his face so close, Rin could smell the ocean from Haruka's hair. His face flushed and his eyes unconsciously drifted to Haruka's mouth. Were his lips always so… pink and soft? Rin flushed some more as he realized what he was thinking. His eyes snapped up as Haruka spoke. The blue-haired teen's voice was silent and slightly.. embarrassed?

"I was really worried you know, when Kou suddenly called and said you had disappeared." Rin found himself once again staring at Haruka's moving lips. He was so entranced by the way they moved so slightly, like he was barely speaking, yet they formed words and-

"Rin why are you staring at my mouth?" Rin snapped his eyes up to meet curious blue ones.

"I-I am not!" Haruka's eyes widened and then lit up with that same excitement that Rin had seen at the beach when they had hugged. Despite the feeling of impending doom settle in his stomach, Rin's face heated up at the memory. The feeling of Haru's skin against his.. his soft, smooth, milky skin..

Rin slapped himself. He was shocked at how much it hurt. He winced as his cheek stung from the impact. He slowly turned his face to look at the teen above him. Haruka just stared down at him, wide-eyed and completely alarmed. His mouth was half open and their faces were so close.. Rin didn't know what came over him but he suddenly grabbed the other and hugged him close. Haruka landed against him with an 'oomf' but made no move to pull away. Rin relaxed.

"Sorry… Just for awhile.." Haruka shifted so his weight wasn't completely on top of Rin. The other shivered when the blue-eyed teen whispered against his ear,

"I'm not going anywhere Rin." The flush that coloured his cheeks and ears quickly disappeared as the implication of what Haruka was saying registered in Rin's mind.

"_I'm not going anywhere Rin. So you stay here too."_ Rin found his eyes getting warm and moist again. He sniffed loudly and very un-manlike. (A/n: Sorry if that's not a word) Haruka stiffened with alarm. After several seconds he slowly asked,

"Rin.. Are you.. Crying?" Rin sniffed again and involuntarily turned his head, in order to tell Haruka off, except the other did the exact same thing and-

Rin's eyes widened as something soft pressed against his mouth. He froze and so did Haruka. Wide burgundy eyes met equally wide cerulean ones. The two teens just lay there, in an accidental lip-lock, Haruka still half on top of Rin with the latter's arms still around him. Only when Rin felt Haruka's hot breath against his face, did he pull away suddenly. He couldn't jump up because the other was still on him, so he simply shifted so they were lying in an awkward diagonal position, with their torso's twisted side ways and their lower bodies entangled with each other. Rin's face was probably the colour of his hair, he was sure. But Haruka didn't look any better. And to Rin's utter horror, he found himself thinking that red really looked good on Haru. He once again found himself openly staring at Haruka's lips. They were still half open and Rin could feel his hot breath on his neck. His spine tingled at the feeling. Rin's mind was a mess. Everything that had happened had already left his mind in a confuddled state and what just happened… Rin wasn't sure about what just happened. That it was an accident, he didn't question, but it was what he felt that made him such a confused wreck. He actually… liked it. Rin found himself admitting that he was slightly reluctant to pull away from the feel of those soft, rosy lips against his. He found himself yearning for that feeling again. He wanted to-

"You're staring at my mouth again."

Once again, Haruka's voice pulled him out of his embarrassing thoughts. And this time Rin didn't even bother denying it. Instead, he found his ego talking for him.

"So? What don't tell me you're embarrassed?" Rin said with as much spite as he could. What he didn't expect though was the answering flush that appeared on Haruka's face and the frown that accentuated the hurt in his eyes. Rin realized Haruka was hurt by the way he said what he said and not the words themselves.

"Well aren't you-"

Rin found himself leaning in, his face right in front of Haruka's, their noses touching.

"I am. What are we going to do about it?" Rin's breath was hot against Haruka's lips. Rin had expected the other to stutter an 'I-I don't know!' or the like, but what he didn't expect was that Haruka would cover what distance remained between them and press his lips against the redhead's. The other male pulled away almost immediately and Rin felt a jolt of disappointment.

"What do _you _want to do Rin?" Haruka's warm breath against his tingling lips, his wide earnest eyes and the feeling of their bodies entangled with each other caused what little bit of sanity was left in Rin to snap. He growled and thrust his hands into Haruka's hair. Grabbing the silky strands tightly, he used his free hand to grab the other's waist and flip them over so Rin was now on top of Haruka. Rin's long hair framed their faces so that it seemed like they were cut off from the rest of the world.

"I asked you first." He growled, a deep rumbling sound at the back of his throat that made Haruka shiver. After several moments of silence – that started to enunciate the feeling of doom that clutched Rin – Haruka said in a shaky whisper,

"I want this. I want us. I want you. Stay with me Rin."

And that did it. Rin swooped down and devoured Haruka's lips. A contented growl escaping him. The other gasped in shock but to Rin's utmost surprise – and delight – reciprocated. The two teens lay there, their tongues vying for dominance, but in the end Rin was the one to gain control. He pulled away, with much regret, and stared down at his life long rival as they gasped and panted for breath. Haruka's cheeks were tinted a shade of red that had Rin reeling out of control. His lips were moist from their kiss and his eyes were lidded and had a look of – Rin's ears burned and his breath hitched – longing. Haruka opened his mouth and once again Rin found himself entranced by them.

"Rin…" It was almost a breathy moan and any sense of preservation or humanity left Rin as his shark-like instincts kicked in. He wanted to devour this person lying under him. And he wanted to make him moan his name. Scream it out loud as he thrashed under him. Any thoughts of the past few days or cutting all ties vanished from his mind as he looked into those blue eyes that had turned dark. He wanted to spend every minute of his life with this man and he couldn't believe for one moment that he had wanted to run away from him. From them. From all that was and all that could be.

'_Oh shit, fuck my ego and pride and whatever else..'_

And Matsuoka Rin leaned in to devour his prey.

* * *

**A/n: I'm back! Sorry for not putting an author's note at the top, I didn't know what to say ahahaha~ Anyway, I quite liked this chapter. And I've decided that I'll change the rating after the next chapter ;D**

**Also, I'm not sure when Kou's birthday is. I tried looking it up but couldn't find it. So... yeah :P**

**Anyway, the next update will be early to make up for lost time and thank you all for reading!**

**Review, Favorite and Follow!**

**Love~**


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